SPOKANE, Wash. — The Gonzaga men's basketball team received a formidable upgrade on Sunday as Arkansas graduate transfer guard Khalif Battle committed to GU.
The 6'5" Battle averaged 14.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game as a senior at Arkansas and averaged almost 26 points per game in his final five games last season. He scored a season high 42 points on February 24 against Missouri.
Battle previously played at Butler and Temple before arriving in Fayetteville.
Battle joins an already strong Gonzaga backcourt with guards Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman, but his arrival should mean less of a load for the two returners, who often played 40 minutes per game last season.
With Battle's addition, Gonzaga will now likely be a consensus top three team in the nation heading into next season.
The Zags are returning six of their seven role players from last season and are adding Steele Venters, Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi and Battle to that mix, creating a strong team on paper.
After adding Battle, the Zags still have three scholarship spots left.
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