The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/447116
BASKETBALL RECRUITING BY CHRIS BALAS A hairline foot fracture has side- lined five-star, class of 2016 shoot- ing guard Tyus Battle, but that hasn't stopped coaches from calling. Michi- gan head coach John Beilein visited Gladstone, N.J., Jan. 7 to check on the Gill St. Bernard School shooting guard, one of U-M's priorities in the junior class. Beilein and his staff have been watching Battle (6-6, Rivals.com's No. 15 junior nationally) for more than a year, and their diligence has paid off. "Coach Beilein wanted to come check him out, make sure Tyus saw his face and then had a conversation with us," said Gary Battle, Tyus' dad. "He asked about the injury, what was going on, how it feels. Tyus isn't happy he's not playing, but it's part of the process. Guys are going to get injured." Battle played through a foot injury to earn a spot with USA Basketball on the 2014 U-17 team that won the its age division world championship last summer in Dubai, and he's still in the gym working on his calf, leg and up- per body, areas not affected by his in- jury. He plans to be back on the court by the end of January at the latest. He's also keeping a close eye on the schools in which he's most interested. Duke has long been high on his list with Michigan, and Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski also traveled to New Jersey recently to check on Battle. "These guys coming out like that — these are busy people with their sea- sons going on," the elder Battle said. "It's really a blessing for us be in this position. Tyus has worked hard, but we feel very fortunate our family has been blessed. We're all just grateful." Battle is in no hurry to make a de- cision and instead will continue to gather information. "It doesn't need to happen this week," Gary Battle noted. "He's not in any rush or limited to where he has BASKETBALL RECRUITING Five-Star Tyus Battle Is Recovering From An Injury, But Is Still Coveted Battle, Rivals.com's No. 15 junior nationally, suffered a hairline foot fracture that was expected to keep him out of action until the end of January. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM