College basketball transfer portal: Why ex-Minnesota wing Jamison Battle can shine for Ohio State – 247Sports

A pivotal offseason for Chris Holtmann and Ohio State basketball is off to a really good start. Ohio State landed coveted Minnesota transfer Jamison Battle Thursday to fill one of its biggest holes. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward walks into Ohio State’s starting lineup at the 4. Assuming a full year of health, Battle will zoom past 1,500 career points and could flirt with cracking the 2,000-point mark.
A preseason foot injury and a nagging back issue sapped Battle’s efficiency this past season, but he still managed to average 12.4 points per game. Battle had 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game for Minnesota in 2021-22.
Battle is the No. 23-rated player in the jam-packed transfer portal. Ohio State landed three transfers last season, but none of Sean McNeil (No. 48), Isaac Likekele (No. 55) or Tanner Holden (No. 57) were as highly-ranked as Battle.
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Here’s how Battle will fit with Ohio State, and why this could end up looking like a wise move for both Battle and the Buckeyes.
Like every player in the country, Battle was allegedly in the “best shape of his life” ahead of the 2022-23 season. He trimmed down 17 pounds with the hopes of carrying a heavy load for the Gophers. But the back injury really impacted his game. He turned into a jump shooter who avoided more contact than ever. That showed up at the free throw line.
Battle had 15 games last season with zero free throw attempts. In 2021-22, he got to the free throw line in 24 of 29 games. He drew 2.3 fouls per 40 minutes last year after drawing 3.3 per 40 in 2021-22.

“He is a smart, smart guy,” Minnesota coach Ben Johnson said. “He knows at this level, to be that First Team, All-Big Ten type player you have to be in great shape physically. And so you don’t wear down when you have a lot on your plate. And I think he also has aspirations of playing at the next level so he has to start that process now. And to get to that next level you have to look the part.”
For Battle to reach the peak of his powers for Ohio State, it begins with full health and getting back to the charity stripe.
Justice Sueing was far from perfect, but his ability to generate free throw attempts was a big boon for Ohio State’s offense. Losing a guy who attempted 120 free throws last year is not easy to replace. But Battle projects to be an overall upgrade in other areas on offense. Sueing is a solid scorer, but he did it with free throws and tough, contested jumpers in the paint. Sueing shot just 27.6% on catch-and-shoot 3s last year which rated in the 24th percentile nationally, per Synergy.

Battle can be a lights-out scorer who puts so much pressure on opposing defenses with his game-changing 3-point stroke. Battle shot 38.7% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers in 2021-22 which ranked in the 81st percentile nationally, per Synergy.
Ohio State got just 28.3% of its points on 3s this past season which ranked 264th in the country. Only 31.7% of Ohio State’s shots were 3s which was the lowest mark of the Holtmann era at Ohio State. Adding Battle signals Ohio State’s commitment to building a roster that can get back to ramping that 3-point volume up even more.
It’d open up the driving lanes for Thornton and could help Zed Key get back to his old, efficient ways on the block. Ohio State’s spacing was clunky often last year. That should change in 2023-24.

On paper, it’s easy to start seeing the bones of what Ohio State’s rotation could look like next year. Bruce Thornton is one of 247Sports’ picks to be a big breakout candidate next season. He’ll start at point guard. Roddy Gayle Jr. should get first dibs to start at the 2. Prized top-50 recruits like Scotty Middleton and Devin Royal will compete for playing time at the 3. Battle fits in at the 4 with Zed Key and Felix Okpara forming a deep, high-upside center platoon.
But make no mistake: Battle is a wing who can play the 4, not vice versa.

Battle’s handle can play in the Big Ten. He’s proven that. Battle’s comfort handling the rock will open doors for Holtmann to get creative with lineups. Battle had 120 pick-and-roll reps over the past two seasons at Minnesota. Like the rest of his numbers, Battle was hyper-efficient in ball screens as a junior and it dipped down during his senior season.
Ohio State put Sueing in 70 pick-and-rolls last season with so-so success. Battle getting a similar number would make plenty of sense.

Ohio State could insert Battle at the 3 or even the 2 in a pinch if it wants to supersize against various opponents.
“Obviously, offensively his versatility is really good,” Johnson said of Battle. “If you play him at the four, it’s a match-up problem. He’s developed now, into a guy that you can play on the perimeter and it’s not a disadvantage to him. The defensive part is the key. Now we can play the team bigger because we can slot Jamison at the two, or the three, or the wing. And again, I think sometimes the opponents may dictate how we utilize (Jamison) or when we feel like that advantage is there.”
Holtmann can also use Battle’s versatility to continue attacking the right pieces in the transfer portal.
Best case: Battle gets back to full strength and plays like an All-Big Ten candidate because he is surrounded by a high-level point guard like Thornton. Battle is Ohio State’s best 3-point shooter who flirts with 70-plus treys who provides solid, positional defense.
Worst case: Battle, honestly, has a very high floor. Battle was a double-digit scorer last year even though he was surrounded by a young team and got hurt a ton. The defensive questions remain.
Most likely: A new scene with a monster talent upgrade was just what Battle needs. Even with a slightly-lower usage rate (due to Ohio State’s dudes), Battle is able to be a solid-to-good role player for a NCAA Tournament team. Remember, Battle has never played on a team that finished with a winning record. Battle-to-Ohio State seems to signal his willingness to sacrifice some personal stats to be a part of a team that can make a run in March.
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