Khalif Battle has been in just about every situation possible during his five-year college basketball career. The dangerous guard scored over 1,300 points and made exactly 400 field goals in his three appearances at Butler, Temple and Arkansas. He played nearly 2,500 minutes and made 32 starts in 101 career games, although none came in the NCAA Tournament.

A native of Hillside, New Jersey, Battle is different in more ways than one from the players who have come through the doors of the Gonzaga men's basketball program before. But what he brings on and off the field could be just what the Zags need to reach the only place they haven't reached in the Mark Few era.

“Coach Few and I basically had the same agenda. I just wanted to win and ultimately get to the next level, which was to play in the NBA,” Battle told Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI in July. “But I know I can’t do it if I don’t win. Unless I learn from someone who is used to having these types of players.”

Battle was one of the top scorers in all of SEC play for the Razorbacks last season. Highlighted by a 42-point game against Missouri, he averaged 29.6 points and shot 51.0% from the floor in his last seven games under head coach Eric Musselman. A little more than a week after the end of the 2023-24 season, Musselman moved to Hollywood for the USC coaching job. That same day, Battle entered the transfer portal.

A month into the portal work, Battle had visited a few power conference schools. Spokane is over 2,500 miles from his East Coast home, but after his first trip to the Northwest – which included a pickup game with John Stockton – Battle was sold on what Few and the Zags were selling .

“I think it was a pretty easy decision for me,” Battle said. “But at the same time I knew I would be far away from home, it would be a different environment… I just accept everything.”

Here's how Battle can make a difference for the Bulldogs, as well as his strengths, his offseason work, his NBA prospects and his prediction for how his 2024-25 season will turn out.

STRENGTHS: THREE-LEVEL GOAL, ATHLETICS

Battle's ability to put the ball in the basket stood out the most in his three different appearances over the past five years. He averaged 13.3 points and shot 35.3% from distance over the course of his career.

“It’s different than what we’ve had before,” Gonzaga assistant coach Brian Michaelson said of Battle to Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI in August. “He can really create his own shot, he can have the ball in his hands really well, he's dynamic and I think what impressed me most was his unselfishness. He passed the ball really well this summer and had a really good feel for moving it.”

The Zags lacked shot creation overall last season, which sometimes led to cold snaps on offense when efficient shots were difficult to come by and transition opportunities were limited. Battle's mix of shooting and athleticism should help solve this problem. Not to mention his ability to stretch the floor and draw fouls frequently (Battle was second in the SEC in free throw attempts last season).

The shooting target shot 35.3% on 4.3 attempts from distance per game last season. He was particularly efficient on the left break, where he knocked down 42% of his attempts. Battle also converted 37% of his looks from the left corner.

“KB also puts the ball in the bucket at a high rate,” Ike told Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI in June. “And he plays with so much heart and passion, and I love that about him.”

OFF SEASON WORK: DEFENSE, GAME MAKING

Battle's commitment to improving over the summer on defense, where the Zags ranked 73rd in efficiency last season, gives reason to believe that with his effort and basketball IQ, he has the potential to to make plays.

“I think he was honest and knows he wants and needs to grow as a defender,” Michaelson said of Battle. “His willingness at this point in his career — he'll be a sixth-grader, he'll have scored a ton of points — to come in and make plays and continue to develop as a defender was really, really impressive to me.”

Likewise, Michaelson and the staff noticed Battle's increasing desire to share the wealth. He has never averaged more than 2.5 assists in a season in his career, although Battle can stir up teammates with his dribble penetration and deft use of pick-and-rolls.

NBA OUTLOOK: POTENTIAL FOR 1ST ROUND PICK

Battle's name won't appear in any 2025 mock drafts until the 2024-25 season, although he will have plenty of opportunity to make some noise for himself during Gonzaga's busy non-conference schedule. The Zags open the new campaign against Baylor at Spokane Arena (November 4), then travel to San Diego State for a true road game at Viejas Arena (November 18) before a highly anticipated multi-game in the Bahamas. Team event arrives The Bulldogs will be joined by Arizona, Indiana, Louisville and others for a three-day tournament over Thanksgiving break. Gonzaga also faces Kentucky in Seattle (December 7), UConn at Madison Square Garden (December 14) and UCLA in Inglewood, Calif., at the Intuit Dome (December 28) before heading to the West Coast Conference.

Battle's 6-foot-10, 185-pound height, as well as his scoring prowess and ability to generate foul pressure, make him an intriguing pro prospect that scouts will become familiar with as next draft season approaches. Even if he isn't in the starting lineup on Opening Day, don't be surprised if he's one of the five Zags on the field during crunch time. Big moments against quality opponents can help a player build his draft profile and stand out from the rest of the pack as a clutch performer.

PREDICTION: FUTURE NBA PLAYER AND CURRENT X-FACTOR

Time will tell if Battle's end-of-season stats earn him national media recognition – he's actually the leading Zag to win the Wooden Award, according to major US sportsbooks – but be that as it may, the box score Observation can't even begin to scratch the surface of what he's capable of in his only season at Gonzaga. Because of the program's history of success in the NCAA Tournament and its development into an NBA factory in recent years, the sixth-year guard has an opportunity to shine on a national stage he has never been on before.

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