April 8, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; April 8, 2010 - All-Big Ten point-guard Talor Battle (Albany, N.Y.) will submit his name for the 2010 NBA Draft. Wednesday was the first day players could do so and underclassmen have until April 25th to declare for the NBA Draft. Battle will gauge his NBA Draft status but will not hire an agent, meaning he could return for his senior season. Under new NCAA rules, Battle will have until May 8th to make a final decision to keep his name in the draft or return for his senior season.
"I'm looking forward to going and working out with some teams around the country and competing against the top players in the country and see where I stand," Battle said. "I'll do that, get an evaluation of where I'm at and then go from there."
The two-time All-Big Ten selection stands seventh all-time in scoring at Penn State with 1,526 points after becoming just the third player in Nittany Lion history to post back-to-back 500-point seasons. Battle, who finished second in the Big Ten averaging 18.5 ppg last year, stands 612 points shy of All-American Jesse Arnelle's all-time scoring mark of 2,138 points. Battle has averaged 604 points a season over the last two years.
He also needs just 25 rebounds to become the first player in Nittany Lion history to post 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists on a career. Battle, who stands eighth all-time with 417 career assists, was one of two players in NCAA Division I to average at least 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in 2009-10 and the only BCS conference player to lead his team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals.
-NITTANY LIONS-