Could Gonzaga's Khalif Battle be the X-Factor for the Zags?: 2024-25 player preview

Grad transfer from Arkansas is an elite-level scorer who brings a different dynamic and vibe to this Gonzaga bunch

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Khalif Battle has been in just about every situation possible throughout his five-year college basketball career. The high-scoring guard has tallied over 1,300 points and made exactly 400 field goals across his three stops at Butler, Temple and Arkansas. He’s played nearly 2,500 minutes and made 32 starts in 101 career games, though none of those have come in the NCAA Tournament.

A native of Hillside, New Jersey, Battle is different than the players who’ve previously come through the doors of the Gonzaga men’s basketball program — in more ways than one. But what he brings on and off the court might just be what the Zags need to get to the only place they haven’t yet in the Mark Few era.

“Coach Few and I basically shared the same agenda. I just wanted to win and to ultimately reach the next level as my goal, to be playing in the NBA,” Battle said to Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI in July. “But I know I can’t do that unless I win. Unless I learn from someone who’s used to having those types of players.” 

Battle was one of the premier scorers down the stretch of SEC play last season for the Razorbacks. Highlighted by a 42-point game against Missouri, he averaged 29.6 points and shot 51.0% from the floor in his final seven games under head coach Eric Musselman. Just over a week after the 2023-24 season ended, Musselman made the move to Hollywood for the USC coaching gig. That same day, Battle entered the transfer portal.

A month into portaling, Battle had taken visits to a few power conference schools. Spokane is over 2,500 miles away from his home on the East Coast, though after his first trip to the Inland Northwest — which included a pickup game with John Stockton — Battle was sold on what Few and the Zags were selling.

“So I think the decision was pretty easy for me,” Battle said. “But at the same time I knew I was gonna be a long way from home, it’s going to be a different environment ... I’m just embracing it all.”

Here’s how Battle can be a difference maker for the Bulldogs, as well as his strengths, offseason work, NBA outlook and prediction for how his 2024-25 season will play out.

STRENGTHS: THREE-LEVEL SCORER, ATHLETICISM

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Battle’s ability to put the ball in the hoop has stood out the most during his three different stops over the last five years. He’s averaged 13.3 points while shooting 35.3% from beyond the arc for his career. 

“He’s different than what we’ve had,” Gonzaga assistant coach Brian Michaelson said of Battle to Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI in August. “He can really create his own shot, he’s really good with the ball in his hands, he’s dynamic and I think where I was most impressed with was how unselfish he was. He really, really passed the ball this summer and had a really good feel for moving it.”

The Zags lacked in overall shot creation last season, which sometimes led to cold stretches on offense when efficient shots were hard to come by and transition opportunities were limited. Battle’s blend of shotmaking and athleticism should help remedy that problem. Not to mention his ability to stretch the floor and draw fouls at a high rate (Battle was second in the SEC in free-throw attempts last season).

Battle shot 35.3% on 4.3 attempts from beyond the arc per game last season. He was particularly efficient from the left break, where he knocked down 42% of his attempts. Battle also converted 37% of his looks from the left corner.

“KB also puts that ball in that bucket at a high rate,” Ike said to Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI in June. “And he plays with such great heart and passion, and I love that about him.”

OFFSEASON WORK: DEFENSE, PLAYMAKING

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Battle’s commitment to improving on the defensive end of the floor, where the Zags ranked 73rd in efficiency last season, over the summer is reason to think he has the potential to make plays with his effort and basketball IQ.

“I think he was honest and knows that he wants to, and needs to, grow as a defender,” Michaelson said of Battle. “So his willingness at this point in his career — gonna be a sixth-year guy, scored a ton of points — to come in and want to make plays, want to grow as a defender were really, really impressive to me.”

Similarly, Battle’s increased desire to share the wealth has stood out to Michaelson and the staff. He’s never averaged more than 2.5 assists in a season for his career, though Battle can set up teammates with his dribble penetration and navigating pick-and-rolls. 

NBA OUTLOOK: 1ST ROUND PICK POTENTIAL

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Battle’s name doesn’t appear on any 2025 mock drafts heading into the 2024-25 season, though he’ll have ample opportunities to generate buzz for himself throughout Gonzaga’s loaded nonconference schedule. The Zags open the new campaign against Baylor at the Spokane Arena (Nov. 4) then head to San Diego State for a true road game at the Viejas Arena (Nov. 18) before an anticipated multi-team event down in the Bahamas, where the Bulldogs are joined by Arizona, Indiana, Louisville and others for a three-day tournament over Thanksgiving break. Gonzaga also sees Kentucky in Seattle (Dec. 7), UConn at Madison Square Garden (Dec. 14) and UCLA in Inglewood, California, at the Intuit Dome (Dec. 28) before West Coast Conference action tips off.

Battle’s size at 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, with his scoring prowess and ability to create foul pressure make him an intriguing pro prospect who scouts will get to familiarize themselves with as the next draft season gets closer. Even if he isn’t featured in the starting lineup on opening day, don’t be surprised if he’s one of the five Zags on the court during crunch time. Big moments against high-profile opponents can help a player build their draft profile and stand out from the rest of the pack as a clutch performer.

PREDICTION: FUTURE NBA PLAYER AND CURRENT X-FACTOR

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Time will tell if Battle’s end-of-season statistics earn him any national recognition from the media — he’s actually the leading Zag to win the Wooden Award according to major U.S. sportsbooks — but either way, box score watching can’t even begin to scratch the surface of what he’s capable of accomplishing in his only season at Gonzaga. Between the program’s history of success in the NCAA Tournament and its evolution into an NBA factory in recent years, the sixth-year guard has an opportunity to shine on a national stage that he’s never been on before. 

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