Tyus Battle to Visit UConn as Huskies Are in Mix for Package With Thornton; Ray Smith Has New List (UPDATED); Derrick Jones to Visit UConn | Zagsblog
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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Thursday / March 28.
  • Tyus Battle to Visit UConn as Huskies Are in Mix for Package With Thornton; Ray Smith Has New List (UPDATED); Derrick Jones to Visit UConn

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    Tyus Battle will visit UConn on Thursday as the Huskies remain one of a handful of schools in the mix for the Battle/Derryck Thornton package we reported on this week.

    Kentucky, Michigan and Florida are among the other schools in the mix for the 2016 guards who are friends.

    Evan Daniels of Scout.com first reported the visit, adding that 2015 Las Vegas wing Ray Smith and Connecticut power forward Steve Enoch will also visit UConn Thursday.

    The 6-7 Smith in May cut his list to 10 schools, not including UConn, but now has a new list of nine: Arizona, Arizona State, Texas, UConn, Georgetown, Louisville, UCLA, USC and Cal.

    “UConn is on my list now,” he told SNY.tv by text.

    UConn coach Kevin Ollie has made the 6-foot-6 Battle a priority, as we reported in April.

    Four days after winning the NCAA championship in Arlington, Texas, Ollie was at Gill St. Bernard’s in Gladstone, N.J., to meet with Battle and show his level of commitment.

    “It was really special because at the beginning of week, on Monday, our family watched KO and the hungry Huskies cut down the nets,” Gary Battle, Tyus’ father, told SNY.tv then. “It was without a doubt a shining moment for Tyus and me. He showed us that Ty is a priority and that means a lot.”

    Ollie spent time on campus and took pictures with players and coaches, just as he did at Roselle Catholic.

    “He absolutely loves the kid!” Gill coach Mergin Sina told SNY.tv. “Tyus has talent, work ethic and most important Tyus is a high character kid! You win national championships with kids like that. Tyus is the best player regardless of class in the state and in my opinion will end up being the best player in America very soon. Kid gets better every day. He is a very high priority for UConn.”

    UConn this week also had 6-9 2015 Los Angeles center Chance Comanche on campus.

    He Tweeted: “UCONN has a great campus. The players and chill and they have a wonderful facility.”

    Finally, 2015 Radnor (Pa.) Archbishop Carroll small forward Derrick Jones will also visit UConn June 30, his father told SNY.tv.

    Jones is also planning visits to Kentucky, Louisville and Syracuse after July.

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    Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.

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