Evan Battey had quite the memorable final home game
Colorado’s final home game of the season on Saturday night quite literally could not have been any more perfect. Two days after losing by 17 to Arizona State, the Buffs regrouped in a big way to upset No. 2 Arizona 79-63.
But the man of the night was Evan Battey, who played his final home game at a sold-out CU Events Center. The all-time fan favorite posted 11 clutch points and provoked several chants of his name throughout a memorable night.
“I don’t know why the school shows me the type of love they do,” Battey said. “I feel like they recognize me for doing things that everybody should do like having school pride, treating people the right way. To be an example and inspire the next generation of Buffs and the next generation of kids, I’m at a loss for words honestly. I was in the middle of the whole thing just soaking it all in.”
The win tied the program’s highest ranked victory along with an upset of No. 2 Oklahoma State in 1992.
Minutes after an appropriate court storming of Sox Walseth Court, Tad Boyle invited his senior class to speak. Benan Ersek, Will Loughlin and Elijah Parquet preceded an Evan Battey speech in which he vowed to return to CU as a coach someday. Who says no?
Battey is a top-10 program player in starts and games played and is top-25 in rebounding and scoring. But the energy Battey brought to Colorado basketball is unmatched. This photo by Matt Sisneros says it all:
From suffering a stroke his first year in Boulder to becoming an all-time great, there wasn’t a better way for Buff fans to celebrate who even Tad Boyle dubbed as CU’s mayor.
“He means everything to me because he’s such a special and unique individual,” Boyle said. “There’s been a lot of good players who come and go through this program through the years but there’s nobody who has done as much for our athletic department.”
Battey also marks the final remaining member of Colorado’s talented 2017 incoming class, which included McKinley Wright IV, D’Shawn Schwartz and Tyler Bey. Those three congratulated Battey in a video tribute prior to his speech. The impact of that 2017 class has been huge, and Battey’s final few games mark the end of a special era of Buffs basketball.
“The journey was worth it, honestly,” Battey said. “It’s so gratifying to see that video of my former teammates talking, wishing us good luck. Those guys mean the world to me and all my teammates. It’s just gratifying and humbling.”
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