What if Penn State Jr. and star Guard, Talor Battle decided to leave Penn State this year and head to the NBA? While logic and reason would tell you that Battle will return to Penn State for his sr. year, to play alongside his half-brother who is joining the team this fall, at the end of day it is all about money.
If Battle is scouted to be a first round pick, I think the likelihood of him leaving is higher than us Penn State fans would like to think. Battle comes from a lower-middle class family (from a financial perspective) and I am sure the money he could make would completely change their lives.
What would the loss of Battle mean to this already fragile and less than mediocre basketball team? It would be the fourth player to depart the program since the end of the year, after it was announced a few weeks back that Chris Babb and Bill Edwards were transferring; and Andrew Ott was graduating and not coming back for his last year of eligibility. The combined departure of these four players would mean that over 35 points per game would be lost from this already apathetic offensive team.
What would this mean for Coach DeChellis, a coach already tip toeing on the brink of being fired? I think this is the final nail in the coffin, while DeChellis will be around next year Battle or no Battle; there is no chance this team plays even close to .500 without Talor leading this team. And Penn State needs to finish above .500 for DeChellis to be around in 2011.
If I am Coach DeChellis, I am begging and praying that Battle stays, because if he goes I am not coaching at Penn State or any other D-I school in 2011. DeChellis future as basketball coach at PSU is tied to Battle, fair or unfair, and you wonder how this might affect the counseling and guidance going on between coach and player.
At the end of day, I hope Battle does what is best for him and his family. While I want to see him one more year in a Penn State uniform, he has given everything he has had to this team and our university. He seems to be a great kid and deserves the best.
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