Colorado freshman Evan Battey back on the court in Italy after suffering a stroke last December

By ADAM ZAGORIA

NEW YORK — Evan Battey thought he was just going to play a simple game of pickup basketball with his friends last Dec. 26 at a 24 Hour Fitness near his home in View Park, Calif.

Battey was home on break from the University of Colorado, where he was sitting out an academic redshirt season under coach Tad Boyle.

But out of nowhere, his legs started to give out from underneath him, he felt depleted of energy and even communicating the problem to his friends on the court was difficult.

He had suffered a stroke despite being just a freshman in college.