Former Ohio State Forward Jamison Battle Earns Summer League Invite With Toronto Raptors
Former Ohio State forward Jamison Battle did not hear his name called during the 2024 NBA draft held on Wednesday and Thursday, but he will still get a chance to showcase his talents at the professional level this summer, earning an invitation to play for the Toronto Raptors Summer League team on Thursday.
Battle, who was not expected to be selected in this year’s draft, will play for Toronto after a strong lone season at Ohio State. He ranked second on the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game while also adding 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game on 46.9 percent from the field, earning him an honorable mention All-Big Ten honor at the end of the season.
But the Robbinsdale, Minnesota, native made perhaps his biggest impact this past season from beyond the arc, a trait that can translate to the modern NBA game that increasingly revolves around the three-point line. Battle shot at a career-high 43.3 percent clip from three last season with the Buckeyes, a mark that was just .1 percentage point below former Northwestern guard Boo Buie for the Big Ten lead while ranking ninth in the nation.
He also shot 92.6 percent from the free-throw line, which led the Big Ten and was tied for sixth in the country.
Aside from his shooting, Battle can also showcase his improved ability to score off the dribble and find the open man this summer. This was an element of his game that was on full display during the end of his lone season with the Buckeyes, when he averaged 19.4 points on 50.9 percent shooting — 44.1 percent from three — in his final 10 games while adding 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest.
Battle, who spent two seasons at George Washington and another two at Minnesota before coming to Ohio State, will begin his quest to become a professional basketball player on July 7 when the Raptors begin Summer League action.