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RaeQuan Battle of the Cats

UMFan12 said:
mthoopsfan said:
You know very little about basketball. It shows in all of your posts, including ones recently and ones on Battle. You are a joke.
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Not letting someone who thinks Battle is a legit NBA prospect and used a 5 year old report to prove it tell me what I know or don’t know about basketball.
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You don't understand the game itself. You don't understand enough about what coaches do and how they think. If you can't see that Battle, a top 80 4-star recruit with Pac-12 experience, would have been a great get for the Griz, there's no hope for you. A coach would almost never turn down a great experienced player because the team already had a bunch of young unproven players at the same position. I showed you the old evaluation to show how long he'd been considered an NBA prospect. I guess you didn't hear Cravens, on the Big Sky tourney broadcast, talking up Battle multiple times, including NBA reference. Ask the Cat coaches if you don't believe me.
 
mthoopsfan said:
UMFan12 said:
Not letting someone who thinks Battle is a legit NBA prospect and used a 5 year old report to prove it tell me what I know or don’t know about basketball.
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You don't understand the game itself. You don't understand enough about what coaches do and how they think. If you can't see that Battle, a top 80 4-star recruit with Pac-12 experience, would have been a great get for the Griz, there's no hope for you. A coach would almost never turn down a great experienced player because the team already had a bunch of young unproven players at the same position. I showed you the old evaluation to show how long he'd been considered an NBA prospect. I guess you didn't hear Cravens, on the Big Sky tourney broadcast, talking up Battle multiple times, including NBA reference. Ask the Cat coaches if you don't believe me.
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Never said he wasnt a great big sky player. Again, at the time we would’ve signed him, it would’ve made no sense. And, he is a better fit for the Cats. Tell me where in that statement I’m wrong? And the “experience” you’re referring to, is 2 years at UW, both one of the worst power conference basketball teams on the floor and one of the worst coached, in which he did nothing but show he was still a project. You don’t take a raw project on a team you already are trying to develop guys who you thought would produce at an all big sky level for multiple years. This is my last time responding. You have no coherent argument for how that signing would’ve made any sense for us at the time. Yes, he’s talented. No, the guys we had didn’t pan out. Hindsight is 20/20.
 
UMFan12 said:
mthoopsfan said:
You don't understand the game itself. You don't understand enough about what coaches do and how they think. If you can't see that Battle, a top 80 4-star recruit with Pac-12 experience, would have been a great get for the Griz, there's no hope for you. A coach would almost never turn down a great experienced player because the team already had a bunch of young unproven players at the same position. I showed you the old evaluation to show how long he'd been considered an NBA prospect. I guess you didn't hear Cravens, on the Big Sky tourney broadcast, talking up Battle multiple times, including NBA reference. Ask the Cat coaches if you don't believe me.
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Never said he wasnt a great big sky player. Again, at the time we would’ve signed him, it would’ve made no sense. And, he is a better fit for the Cats. Tell me where in that statement I’m wrong? And the “experience” you’re referring to, is 2 years at UW, both one of the worst power conference basketball teams on the floor and one of the worst coached, in which he did nothing but show he was still a project. You don’t take a raw project on a team you already are trying to develop guys who you thought would produce at an all big sky level for multiple years. This is my last time responding. You have no coherent argument for how that signing would’ve made any sense for us at the time. Yes, he’s talented. No, the guys we had didn’t pan out. Hindsight is 20/20.
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You said Battle wouldn't be a top player in the Big Sky nor a top player for the Cats. You were dead wrong on both.

You said Battle was a big risk. He wasn't. He just needed a new home.

You said there were red flags everywhere, including the fact that he'd played Rez ball.

You said he wasn't coachable. Not true.

You said he would be disruptive. Not true.

Battle was never a "project". He was a top talent, who had had some terrific games at UW. He wanted to play all aspect of the game, and not just be used just as a shooter.

At UW, he scored 19 against Oregon, 11 against Oregon St, 12 against Colo., 14 against AZ, 10 against AZ St., 10 against Stanford, 9 against UCLA.

You should you were glad the Griz didn't get him.
 
mthoopsfan said:
UMFan12 said:
Never said he wasnt a great big sky player. Again, at the time we would’ve signed him, it would’ve made no sense. And, he is a better fit for the Cats. Tell me where in that statement I’m wrong? And the “experience” you’re referring to, is 2 years at UW, both one of the worst power conference basketball teams on the floor and one of the worst coached, in which he did nothing but show he was still a project. You don’t take a raw project on a team you already are trying to develop guys who you thought would produce at an all big sky level for multiple years. This is my last time responding. You have no coherent argument for how that signing would’ve made any sense for us at the time. Yes, he’s talented. No, the guys we had didn’t pan out. Hindsight is 20/20.
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You said Battle wouldn't be a top player in the Big Sky nor a top player for the Cats. You were dead wrong on both.

You said Battle was a big risk. He wasn't. He just needed a new home.

You said there were red flags everywhere, including the fact that he'd played Rez ball.

You said he wasn't coachable. Not true.

You said he would be disruptive. Not true.

Battle was never a "project". He was a top talent, who had had some terrific games at UW. He wanted to play all aspect of the game, and not just be used just as a shooter.

At UW, he scored 19 against Oregon, 11 against Oregon St, 12 against Colo., 14 against AZ, 10 against AZ St., 10 against Stanford, 9 against UCLA.

You should you were glad the Griz didn't get him.
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Never said the first part. Said, in my literal own words “Battle is Sprinkle taking a gamble on a talented guy.” You’re putting words in my mouth. You brought the quote, go read it. Pretty obvious now that a lot of what made him look uncoachable at UW was Hopkins, as he’s been doing that with a lot of guys. But 4 a game on 25% from the field as a former highly touted prospect on a terrible basketball team is the definition of project. I’ve already mentioned consistency. You name only 6 games in double figures in a 2 year span. It was absolutely a risk. It paid off. Who cares. Him alone is not fixing the problem with Griz basketball.
 
UMFan12 said:
mthoopsfan said:
You said Battle wouldn't be a top player in the Big Sky nor a top player for the Cats. You were dead wrong on both.

You said Battle was a big risk. He wasn't. He just needed a new home.

You said there were red flags everywhere, including the fact that he'd played Rez ball.

You said he wasn't coachable. Not true.

You said he would be disruptive. Not true.

Battle was never a "project". He was a top talent, who had had some terrific games at UW. He wanted to play all aspect of the game, and not just be used just as a shooter.

At UW, he scored 19 against Oregon, 11 against Oregon St, 12 against Colo., 14 against AZ, 10 against AZ St., 10 against Stanford, 9 against UCLA.

You should you were glad the Griz didn't get him.
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Never said the first part. Said, in my literal own words “Battle is Sprinkle taking a gamble on a talented guy.” You’re putting words in my mouth. You brought the quote, go read it. Pretty obvious now that a lot of what made him look uncoachable at UW was Hopkins, as he’s been doing that with a lot of guys. But 4 a game on 25% from the field as a former highly touted prospect on a terrible basketball team is the definition of project. I’ve already mentioned consistency. You name only 6 games in double figures in a 2 year span. It was absolutely a risk. It paid off. Who cares. Him alone is not fixing the problem with Griz basketball.
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Nope, you said he wouldn't be a top Big Sky player or a top player on the Cats. You had lots of posts on Battle, not just the ones I quoted. It wasn't a gamble. Minor minor risk. Anyone who can score those amounts as a true frosh against Pac-12 competition is obviously a talent. Again, you don't understand the game of basketball.
 
Let's frame this in a way that makes a bit of sense.

UW is a dumpster fire. They had back to back recruiting classes, of which Battle was a part of, that was the peak of what many thought was a new golden generation of Seattle Hoops. Hopkins invested heavily to winning recruiting battles in Seattle, he won them, but all those wins in recruiting haven't led to wins on the floor. In fact had he not had a million dollar buyout, Hopkins would be looking for a new job this year.

The year Battle left, he played in 14 games. Just 14 and there were tons of rumors (none of them substantiated) as to why he and Pryor were not available to play. Just tons of speculation and very little time on the floor his sophomore year after a good freshman campaign. Washington won just 5 games, including a loss to Montana, and there was a lot of stench around that program. Just a no-good awful year for everyone in Seattle.

Regardless, 5 players hit the portal and Battle is about the only one who has seen any success at subsequent stops. I don't think it was a guarantee that Battle was going to be an all Big Sky guy, upon arriving, because despite some success at UW, he was a role player and saw little if any action his sophomore year. Obviously he had talent, he merited a scholarship at UW. He could play, but again it was hardly a given after his regression his sophomore year.

Battle would have helped the UM but context helps. When Battle hit the portal, a) Montana had already been working to get Oscar Lopez in the door, b) expended a scholarship on Blakney and c) gotten a verbal from Martin. All needs. All upgrades and mix that in with encouraging years from Carter-Hollinger, Beasley, Parker and Whitney it probably wasn't a good fit for either party. In retrospect, Lopez bailed (was playing ball in Mexico at last report) and so did a lot of other players (Beasley, Carter-Hollinger etc). Doesn't look good now obviously.

Good on Battle on finding a place that allowed him to find success, good on Sprinkle for giving him that opportunity, but this isn't a zero-sum game. Just because he's found success at MSU doesn't mean that Montana had to reject him and some how is a reflection on Travis. Obviously that is reductionist thought, but as MSU has seen success we are spending a lot of time panicking about all the swings and misses. How Sprinkle is hitting homerun after home run and how Travis's star has diminished. I just don't think we made a swing at Battle in the spring of 2021. Missed opportunity? Obviously, but interest is a two-way street. Maybe Travis called. Maybe Battle wasn't interested. Purely speculation at this point.

Like I said, I'm glad that Battle was able to outrun that trash heap of an existence in Seattle and find a place to be successful.
 
mthoopsfan said:
poorgriz said:
I love that you guys are having a lengthy discussion about Bobcats….. again. Lol
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The discussion is about Native American players.
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The discussion is about RaeQuan Battle as a basketball player. Race is irrelevant
 
UMFan12 said:
mthoopsfan said:
The discussion is about Native American players.
Click to expand...
The discussion is about RaeQuan Battle as a basketball player. Race is irrelevant
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I brought up Battle and have continued to bring him up, because he is Native American. That's the only reason I have started threads like this.
 
mthoopsfan said:
UMFan12 said:
The discussion is about RaeQuan Battle as a basketball player. Race is irrelevant
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I brought up Battle and have continued to bring him up, because he is Native American. That's the only reason I have started threads like this.
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Anxiously awaiting something he and only he could perceive as a bit racist....then jumps. Probably me!

In the meantime will nanny nanny boo boo just like we all did back in 2nd grade with anyone who's involved in the thread. No I didn't....yes you did!

Mom!!!
 
mthoopsfan said:
UMFan12 said:
The discussion is about RaeQuan Battle as a basketball player. Race is irrelevant
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I brought up Battle and have continued to bring him up, because he is Native American. That's the only reason I have started threads like this.
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So….Your bias is why you can’t see how signing him at the time wasn’t the easy, surefire decision you’re making it out to be. End of discussion
 
UMFan12 said:
mthoopsfan said:
I brought up Battle and have continued to bring him up, because he is Native American. That's the only reason I have started threads like this.
Click to expand...
So….Your bias is why you can’t see how signing him at the time wasn’t the easy, surefire decision you’re making it out to be. End of discussion
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What bias? Signing him was easy.
 
I still can’t believe Battle is the only Native American player in the entire NCAA tourney. That seems crazy to me.
 
poorgriz said:
I still can’t believe Battle is the only Native American player in the entire NCAA tourney. That seems crazy to me.
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I think the percentage of Native Americans in the US is 2.9%. Assume 50% male?

There are about 5500 D1 basketball players. If represented as a percentage of the population that would put about 90 on teams. Are there 90 across the nation good enough to play D1? I don't know.

***disclaimer - I was not a math major. :)
 
poorgriz said:
I still can’t believe Battle is the only Native American player in the entire NCAA tourney. That seems crazy to me.
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It's a complex issue that isn't just about talent. There are many Native Americans that could play D1 athletics but they also need to have a strong academic foundation to survive University systems that lack learning environments that align with their strengths.
 
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