Fifth-year Jamison Battle (10) makes a shot through the foul during the first half against Oakland Monday. Ohio State won 79-73 at Value City Arena.
Credit: Caleb Bale | Photo Editor
Jamison Battle spent the past two seasons playing at home in Minnesota.
He could’ve chosen to enter the NBA draft but instead made the decision to become a Buckeye.
Battle, a graduate guard who was one of the top scorers in the Big Ten for the past two seasons, transferred to Ohio State with the goal of refining his game and making his first NCAA tournament.
“I thought to myself and felt I wasn’t able to make an impact on college basketball the way I wanted to,” Battle said. “I don’t think I’d be able to sit through March Madness and tell my kids that I haven’t played in the tournament.”
Despite his best efforts — averaging nearly 15 points and six rebounds per game over his career — Battle had unfortunate luck and was never able to lead his teams to the NCAA tournament.
Battle began his collegiate career at George Washington, where, as a freshman, he set the school’s single-season record in 3-pointers made while also leading the A-10 conference in the category with 89.
“My first couple years were huge for my confidence,” Battle said. “At [George Washington], coming out my first year with all those 3-pointers was exactly the start I needed.”
Battle was on the A-10 All-Rookie Team that year and followed it by making All-Conference Third Team the following season.
Originally from Robbinsdale, Minnesota — a 15-minute drive from Minneapolis — Battle transferred back to his home state after the 2020-21 season to play for the University of Minnesota.
“Both my parents worked for the [Minnesota] Timberwolves when I was younger,” Battle said. “So I think I’ve always been surrounded by basketball, if not just sports and that culture in general.”
As a junior in his first season at Minnesota, Battle led the team in scoring with 17.5 points, the highest mark of his college career.
“Being a scorer, I think that’s something I’ve done my whole college career,” Battle said. “One thing that these guys on the staff this year are pushing me to do is just be consistent with the agenda of shooting the ball efficiently.”
Battle faced a minor setback his senior year with a foot injury that sidelined him for the early part of the season. However, he was still able to finish the season last year, averaging 12.4 points and scoring 20 or more six times.
“Being able to fight through challenges is a part of basketball,” Battle said. “As a shooter, it’s all about your mental game, so having a strong mentality can help me get over a lot of humps.”
On April 6, Battle announced he would be exercising his fifth year and transferring to Ohio State.
“I said early on, the fifth year was a luxury,” Battle said. “I didn’t really want to use the fifth year at first just because I felt I could’ve gone professional.”
Assistant coach Mike Netti said Battle is a proven scorer in the Big Ten, and he’s been able to shoot it with great range.
“He’s shot the ball well and made big shots during his career, and we know it almost better than anyone because we’ve played against him and seen him in person,” Netti said. “We have big aspirations for him to shoot it well.”
Head coach Chris Holtmann said Battle will be a significant contributor to the Buckeyes’ offense this season and needs to be one of the leading scorers in order for the team to be successful.
“Jamison not only has to stretch the floor for us with his range but he’s just got to be a scorer in general,” Holtmann said.
Battle said defense will be the motor of this Ohio State team and is a major part of the Buckeye basketball culture.
“I think defensively, I’ve improved over the last two years,” Battle said. “I’m going to do everything I can to take that jump this year at Ohio State just because I know how important defense is for our team.”
Battle said at Ohio State, he felt he had the chance to come in and be a leader while also learning from the younger guys who have been in the program and who tried taking it to the tournament last season.
Monday, in the Buckeyes’ season opener against the Oakland Grizzlies, Battle had 9 points, seven rebounds and two assists in 31:51 minutes of play.
“I think my want to win was the biggest thing for me, and I think this was the best, one of the best opportunities for me to come in and do that,” Battle said. “I just want to win in college, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get there.”
The Golden Gophers will visit the Buckeyes to open Big Ten play on Dec. 3 and Battle will make his return to Minnesota for a showdown in Minneapolis on Feb. 22, 2024.
