B
ATTLE READY THREES
Despite all the hype and fanfare surrounding Washington’s two top ten recruits for 2019, Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart, it is possible that their most impactful recruit this season may be four-star recruit RaeQuan Battle.
Washington will return two sophomore guards, Jamal Bey and Elijah Hardy, and bring in underrated freshman point guard Marcus Tshonis.
However, none of these guards provide the outside shooting threat that Battle does.
Incoming freshman RaeQuan Battle’s textbook shooting form sometimes resembles a moving work of art.
Battle shows impressive elevation off two-feet to clear defenders, yet is consistently on balance with an efficient smooth motion and quick release of the ball at a high release point.
Battle’s long arms and use of his explosive legs gives him deep range that easily extends to the new international three-point distance of 22 feet and 1.75 inches.
Battle excels at hitting deep jumpers off dribble-handoff situations, particularly from the high wing or top of arc areas, so expect the Huskies coaching to incorporate dribble-handoffs into the offensive game plan.
He also has a solid dribble step-back move that creates enough space for Battle to get his shot off in the face of a defender.
Battle is also very good at pull-up threes, so he possesses the offensive versatility to hunt his shot in transition or in half-court offense. RaeQuan Battle is a necessary component to next season’s Huskies offense.
As a true freshman, expect the coaching staff to give Battle a significant role as a situational three-point specialist, and possibly even sixth-man by late season.
Go Dawgs!