A few numbers to put new Gonzaga guard Khalif Battle's scoring ability, mindset, dedication and motivation – all of which are closely linked – into perspective.

Let's start with the uniform numbers the Arkansas transfer has worn at four schools in his six-year career: 4, 0 and 99.

“I covered every region,” Battle said of his college odyssey.

The New Jersey native wasn't able to grab his favorite number 0 as a freshman at Butler because it was taken by a teammate. He chose No. 4 because “it just looked good.”

Battle transferred to Temple for the next three seasons and wore No. 0, which “I've worn my whole life. So many people can protect me.”

GU senior starting point guard Ryan Nembhard is ranked 0 for the second straight year, so Battle chose 99.

“For my friend, a best friend,” Battle said of a college friend who was shot a few years ago. “He had nine letters in his name, he was born in September, the ninth month. I asked his mother if I could honor him at 99 and she thought it was a great idea.”

Battle's inner belief, particularly in his ability to score goals quickly, comes from countless hours in the gym. For Battle, the gym was in a school where his grandmother was employed as a janitor. She played an important role in raising Khalif, his older brother Tyus and their autistic cousin.

Grandma took the three of them to school regularly when she worked nights and weekends. Khalif and Tyus, who went on to play at Syracuse and play professionally overseas, completed marathon sessions of 1-on-1 games to 100 for hours while their cousin read books in the library.

“My mother was a waitress. She wasn’t really at home making money,” Khalif said. “My father was laid off for much of my life and found himself running his business. I spent a lot of time with my grandmother.

“She would lock us in the gym. I didn't take it as seriously as my brother did. He was always a natural, a top-five player since seventh grade. I never thought of myself that way. She died when I was in seventh grade, and that's when I started taking basketball seriously. I guess it’s kind of like my calling card for them.”

Battle, whose first name is pronounced K-liff but is known to his teammates as KB, expanded his game and honed his shooting skills by playing against older kids at the park.

“I was playing on a double rim and the shot had to go in,” Battle said, pointing out that double rims are less forgiving than single rims. “In college, people tweaked my shot. I would spend hours doing it until 2am, sometimes until 5am… I've always been a gym fanatic. Every trainer I used to have had to kick me out of the gym. You have to have complete self-confidence and trust in your work.”

The proof of that came last year in his only season at Arkansas. The 6-foot-5 Battle scored 42, 36, 34 and 29 points against Missouri, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and LSU late in the regular season. The 141 points in a four-game span were the most by an SEC player in two decades. Not bad because he wasn't in the starting lineup just ten days before the Missouri game.

Battle sank six 3-pointers, including a couple that came within 30 feet, mastered smooth pull-ups, converted on the break and went 14 of 14 at the free throw line against Missouri. He didn't let up in the following three games and scored 22, 24 and 20 points at the end of the season.

He’s already made an impact at Gonzaga. In podcast interviews at the recent WCC Media Day in Las Vegas, coach Mark Few mentioned that Battle made 140 free throws in a row in practice.

“Graham Ike just sat there (waiting his turn),” Battle said. “At first he thought, 'He's going to miss.' I told him to make himself comfortable. I stopped counting and let the manager start counting.”

In a shooting drill in which guards fired three shots each from six positions (until they missed two in a row), Battle earned a score of 337. The next best: 190.

Battle made 87.3% of 213 free throw attempts in 793 minutes last season. Six GU players logged more minutes, led by Nembhard with 1,250, and Ike paced the team with 134 free throw attempts in 846 minutes.

Battle, a three-level scorer who can operate in ball screens and apply foul pressure, and Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi, who was brought into the starting lineup to replace Anton Watson, are key additions to a roster that returns six of its top seven scorers.

“They fill needs that we thought we needed to address,” Few said. “Of course, the loss of Anton will not be absorbed by just one person. He had an impact in all phases of the game, but Mike obviously really helps us there. KB brings us something we probably haven't had in a long time, a kind of electric scorer who can get his own shot, get downhill and get to the line, but also make free throws.”

The 6-7 Ajayi averaged 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds in his first D-1 season. The senior forward shot 47% on three-pointers and played nearly 35 minutes per game.

“Physical, big, strong, great energy, great personality,” Zags assistant coach Brian Michaelson said. “We needed that physicality and he’s going to rebound.”

Gonzaga appeared to have the best of all worlds in the transfer portal after last season, stocking up on immediate and delayed help while losing two scholarship players who played just 176 minutes combined.

Tarleton State transfer Emmanuel Innocenti started 33 games as a freshman last year on a 25-win team. The 6-5, 200-pound French native averaged 6.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals and earned WAC All-Defensive and All-Freshman honors. Few rave about Innocenti's defensive abilities.

He will compete for rotation minutes and take on a larger role next season and beyond. GU will lose at least six seniors/sophomores after this season.

“He’s a good defender, strong, his arms are longer than you think,” Battle said of his play against Innocenti in practice. “Slides his feet really well. Everyone told me what a great defender he was and if anyone could keep me out of the game it would be him. I took that (as a challenge) so I go at him every time, but he always accepts the challenge. He can also shoot the ball.”

“Emmanuel could have gone somewhere and started,” Michaelson said. “He wanted to be encouraged and challenged like the other guys and strive for long-term greatness.”

The 7-foot, 237-pound Ismaila Diagne is just 17 years old and doesn't have much playing experience, but could provide rim and paint protection in certain situations.

“He’s younger than the vast majority of the 2025 recruiting class,” Michaelson said. “He has an incredible spirit and positive attitude that this group needs. In my experience, this leads to growth and success. He is a real physical presence. He will play a big role for us in the future. All these young guys are going to be really good players here.”

That includes Braeden Smith, who is redshirting and a top candidate for the point guard position next season. The Seattle native played two years at Colgate and was named Patriot League Player of the Year last season. He started in all 70 games and averaged 12.0 points and 5.0 assists.

“He's very good to play (this season), he's talented,” Michaelson noted. “And he’s a real leader. He pushed Ryan and Nolan to the absolute maximum, which these guys haven't had in their careers here. If the ball is in his hands during training, his group has a chance of winning.”

Victory hasn't been lost on Battle – his teams hit .500 or better three times and Arkansas finished 16-17 last season – but he hasn't appeared in an NCAA Tournament game. Butler was 22-9 in his first year and looked to be a lock for the tournament before it was canceled due to COVID.

March Madness was one of the selling points in Gonzaga's pitch to Battle. He visited Villanova and Kansas State, but his visit to Spokane “felt like home.”

This was in line with advice he received from Roc Nation President Juan Perez. Battle met Perez after his brother Tyus initially signed with Roc Nation.

“He’s like an uncle to me,” Battle said. “He told me, 'You can go to all these schools, but you'll know when you're going to the right place.' ”

Few, the head of GU's House, offered the crucial input while sitting with Battle in his office.

“It just felt like a different vibe,” Battle said. “The coach didn’t really say much. He just said, ‘Do you want to win or not?’ It was pretty much a done deal.”

When Battle arrived at Butler, he thought he was done and headed to the NBA, but he learned quickly: “I had no idea how college worked.”

He saw limited time as a freshman before becoming a major scorer at Temple. As a sophomore, he led the Owls in scoring with 15.0 points but was limited to 11 games, in part due to a hamstring injury. The following season, he scored an AAC-best 21.4 points in seven games, but was sidelined by a broken bone in his foot and received a medical redshirt year.

He averaged 17.9 in his final season at Temple, but left the team for personal reasons after being benched during a loss to Wichita State in mid-February.

“I was immature when I went to college,” Battle said. “All my trials and tribulations have made me a man who is a leader and early. I’m not afraid to speak my mind and do the right thing.”

He only started 13 of 32 games last season, but was still the Razorbacks' second-leading scorer with 14.8.

With GU's deep roster, Battle could start or spend significant minutes on the bench. He has achieved great success in both roles. If the Zags go with Ajayi and last year's four starters (Nembhard, Ike, Nolan Hickman and Ben Gregg), Battle would likely be the first guard and Braden Huff the first big player to come off the bench – both are known for their serious point-per-play results. Minute production.

“As a competitor you always want to start,” Battle said. “At the end of the day, you always have a job to do, no matter what benefits the team. I’m still confident I can score.”

Few emphasizes defense and Battle said he, along with Michaelson and assistant Stephen Gentry, have spent extra time on defensive drills.

“He can really move his feet, quick-twitch athlete, nice size, quick feet,” Michaelson said. “His willingness to improve as a defender and his willingness to pass – two things I was most pleased with about him.”