LeftyTG said:
As a Syracuse fan, this was crushing news. He was thought to be a Syracuse lean and Syracuse put all their eggs in the Battle basket. Syracuse was supposed to get the last official in two weeks before the decision. Michigan must have really blown him away. Congrats guys, Battle is the real deal and will be an amazing player in the Michigan system.
He's supposed to be good friends with Derryck Thornton, who just reclassified to 2015 to go to Duke. I was worried that he was going to pick Duke as a result. Apparently, he was all smiles when they visited, loved Coach Beilein and Coach Jordan. I'm really excited to see what Beilein can do with a top ranked guard coming out of HS, since Michigan really hasn't had one.
This definitely alleviates the disappointment of missing out on Brown. Brown might be the player that could have helped Michigan get to the next level and possibly win a championship, but he could also just be a flash in the pan. While he says that he won't leave until he's ready, there'll be a lot of dollars calling him at the end of the season. One of the things that hurt last year was all of the attrition of the previous two years. It wasn't just that the guys were leaving but that the guys who were leaving were the guys that played a ton of the minutes. These were the guys that got a ton of the touches and shots. Last year, it was a learning experience for many of the players, especially with two starters out. The upcoming year features a team with a lot more depth and Battle can come in and be the next guy once Caris leaves (and possibly, Irvin). I think that the transition and stability looks good right now.
