Zach Braziller

Zach Braziller

NBA

A gold medal and Coach K calling: the summer of this N.J. stud

Tyus Battle’s summer was better than yours.

It included trips to Dubai, Las Vegas and Augusta, Ga., scholarship offers from Duke, Michigan, Louisville and Kentucky and a gold medal with the United States 17-and-under national team.

Not shabby for a 16-year-old who has yet to begin his junior year of high school.

“It was an amazing experience,” Battle said.

A consensus top 25 recruit in the class of 2016, the 6-foot-5 wing from Edison, N.J., followed up a big AAU season with Bronx-based Team SCAN — it included a semifinal finish at the prestigious Peach Jam — by winning gold at the FIBA U17 World Championship. Then there was his whirlwind summer recruitment, which absolutely exploded, Battle hearing from the likes of Rick Pitino, John Calipari and Mike Krzyzewski.

Battle described the offers as a “blessing,” but winning the goal medal was by far his personal highlight.

“You’re representing your country,” said Battle, who now has 28 offers from different colleges. “It might be to just play basketball, but it’s a whole different experience. When they put the medal around my neck, the feeling was surreal.”

The Duke offer was significant to both father and son. Years ago, while working for Aetna, Gary Battle met Krzyzewski at a speaking engagement. Gary told Coach K he would be recruiting his son one day. When they met again a few years later, at an AAU Tournament on Long Island, Gary made sure Tyus, then just 8 years old, shook Krzyzewski’s hand. He used to call up his son pretending to be Coach K ready to offer a scholarship.

“Duke’s an amazing program,” said Tyus, who visited Kentucky and Louisville this summer and plans to attend Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness Oct. 17 and Duke’s Countdown to Craziness Oct. 25.

A pure scorer, Battle “has a knack for making the big shot,” one college coach who watched him extensively this summer said. The coach raved about his raw ability and his leadership skills despite a quiet demeanor.

“I can’t say enough great things about him,” the coach said.

Battle, a stellar student with a 3.2 GPA, averaged 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game last season at Gill St. Bernard’s in Gladstone, N.J., and he averaged 3.7 points coming off the bench for Team USA in seven games in Dubai.

Basketball is a family tradition for the Battles. Gary was a Division II All-American at the University of New Haven and he has personally trained his son for years. Only 6-foot-2, Gary said jokingly he would have been Tyus’ equal if he had his size. Tyus developed his father’s work ethic, putting in long hours in the gym.

“I see a lot of myself in him,” Gary said, “But he’s better, more refined, better ball handler.”

From a young age, his son had high expectations of himself. When Tyus was just getting started in the sport, he played at local development league called US Hoops, where older kids with dreams they would soon reach often worked out — kids such as Luol Deng, Jay Williams and Kyie Irving.

“That’s what really got me starting playing basketball,” Tyus said. “It was motivation. To see those guys develop from high school to where they are, it’s amazing.”

Tyus Battle is carving out a similar path.


Queens guard Dupree McBrayer verbally committed to Minnesota Friday night, picking the Gophers over St. John’s, Seton Hall and a host of others. The multi-talented 6-foot-3 guard has a year of prep school before heading off to college.


Brooklyn guard Isaiah Gurley of George Westinghouse verbally committed to Canisius on Monday.

Wagner landed Rhode Island transfer Mike Aaman, a talented forward from Hazlet, N.J., who has battled concussion issues and played in just five games a year ago.


Tottenville and New Heights forward Nakye Sanders will remain in the class of 2015 after considering reclassifying. He has cut his list to St. Jon’s, Seton Hall, VCU, Temple, Duquesne, La Salle, Drexel, Old Dominion and Towson.


Southern Miss transfer Aaron Brown visited Iona on Wednesday, but committed to Boston College on Friday. A graduate transfer from Hackensack, N.J., the small forward is eligible immediately.


New Jersey senior forward Chris Silva of Roselle Catholic announced a top five of Villanova, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, Kansas State and South Carolina last Sunday.


Rutgers played host to forward Horace Spencer of Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., a top 100 recruit in the class of 2015, on Tuesday.