Syracuse basketball star Tyus Battle will have to make NBA decision this weekend - Syracuse.com

Update: Tyus Battle has declared for the NBA Draft but will not sign an agent

Syracuse, N.Y. -- A decision for Tyus Battle is coming. The NBA deadline for college basketball players who want to be considered for the June NBA Draft is Sunday at 11:59 p.m.

That means Battle, the Syracuse sophomore, will need to submit a letter to the NBA office by that time if he is declaring for the draft.

Battle, SU's leading scorer last season, can either declare for the draft, hire an agent and end his college eligibility, declare for the draft and not hire an agent, thereby "test the waters," or return to Syracuse for his junior year.

His family's stressed importance on education and Battle's status as a serious student (he was on the ACC's all-academic team), make it unlikely that Battle will declare and immediately hire an agent, which would limit his options going forward.  What's more likely is that Battle could declare, test the waters and use the additional time to arrive at a decision about his future.

The decision, for Battle and his family, has been a difficult one. There are considerations of Battle's love for his school, his teammates, the SU staff, the potential for the Orange to return to the NCAA Tournament and all that might mean for Battle. That scenario has been weighed against Battle's very real desire to play in the NBA. Like every high-level college basketball player, he has long dreamed of testing his game against the best players in the world.

Determining where NBA teams might select him in the upcoming draft is a tricky business for any player outside the projected top 10 or top 15. Determining what might happen next year, when the draft pool is projected to be shallower, is equally difficult.

These are all things Battle has been considering. He is known as a contemplative decision-maker. By no later than Sunday, he will need to make at least one choice.

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