Tag: Evan Battey

“The Mayor” is back in Boulder helping lead Team Colorado

Naturally, “The Mayor” is stepping up as a leader for Team Colorado

If you were to tell the history of the Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball program, it would be improper to forget about Evan Battey.

Affectionately referred to as “The Mayor” of Boulder, Battey played four seasons with the Buffs and developed a reputation as a leader for Colorado. Now, Battey will bring all 88 of his career college basketball wins to the table with Team Colorado in the upcoming The Basketball Tournament.

Battey was noticeably vocal during the team’s first official practice on Saturday, often pointing out where guys needed to be and helping the coaches install the playbook.

I asked him why he decided to join Team Colorado this summer.

“Just (the) opportunity to be around the guys,” Battey said. “First and foremost, we have a great group of guys. (We have) Colorado legends in the building, under the same roof, working toward the same goal.”

Any CU fan knows that Battey gave his heart and soul every minute he was out on the court for the Buffaloes, and it was great to see that mindset is still present in him.

“It’s Colorado, and we play for the name on the front of the jersey,” he said. “There’s a pride that we carry with our former players and our current players. Coach (Tad) Boyle always said, ‘Take pride in the tradition and take pride in the program, in the legacy,’ and we all do that.”

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Evan Battey leads Buffs alum into this summer’s TBT

Evan Battey is set to lead the Colorado team at The Basketball Tournament this summer.

The Colorado Buffaloes alumni team is back in The Basketball Tournament this summer. The Colorado team lost in the finals in 2016 and played the next few years before COVID threw a wrench in the tournament.

One of the first players to earn a phone call was Evan Battey, the Buffs legend who just left the program a year ago. Zach Ruebesam, Colorado’s Player of Basketball Development, admitted the importance guys such as Battey have in these types of events (h/t Jimme Searfoss of 247Sports).

“I was like ‘hey I want to do this, and I need your help getting guys on board.’ Evan [Battey] was all in from the start, and when Evan [Battey] starts a message like that, because he’s such a big personality, you gravitate towards him.”

Of course, the Colorado team has a lot of talent, and for Buffs fans, it will be fun to watch Evan Battey lace them up again, especially after a magnificent career in Boulder. 

And, of course, Ruebesam wants this team to get back to where they once were: “We want to get back and restore the tradition that Colorado’s had in the TBT, and I think we have the group to do it.”

Team Colorado’s 2023 The Basketball Tournament roster

Team Colorado has submitted an application for The Basketball Tournament. Here’s a look at the roster:

Team Colorado has submitted an application to return to The Basketball Tournament this summer after a four-year break.

The CU men’s basketball alumni team last competed in 2016 and made it to the championship game. However, COVID threw a wrench in it, and now a new group of former Buffs is hoping to be back again.

Zach Ruebesam, Colorado’s director of player development, will be the team’s head coach, and this roster features a ton of talent, most notably Evan Battey. The Basketball Tournament is a 64-team tournament and the winner wins $1 million.

Here is a full look at Colorado’s roster for The Basketball Tournament, which will take place this summer:

Evan Battey announces pro ball team

Evan Battey is set to begin his pro career overseas

The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team saw a few players leave, such as Keeshawn Barthelemy going to Oregon via the transfer poral and Jabari Walker heading for the pro ranks.

Walker has dazzled with the Portland Trail Blazers and even won himself a summer league championship. Now, Evan Battey has made a decision on where he will play pro ball.

It looks like Battey is headed to Samokov, Bulgaria. Battey will play for BC Rilski Sportist. Battey announced this decision in a tweet on Wednesday night and made sure to give a shoutout to Buff nation.

Battey’s NBA draft profile always seemed to be a long shot, especially with the talented class in 2022. However, it is refreshing to see him land in the pro ranks, and we will surely keep an eye on how Battey does overseas.

BC Rilski Sportist participates in the National Basketball League, FIBA Euro Cup and the Balkan International Basketball League.

If Battey does well in Bulgaria, he could earn another crack at an NBA roster, or even a G League spot, sooner rather than later.

Congratulations to Battey on signing overseas, and hopefully he can perform well and make Buff nation proud.

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Evan Battey could begin his professional basketball career overseas

Evan Battey told BuffZone that he’s mulling opportunities to play pro ball overseas

Colorado Buffaloes fans are going to have a great time watching Jabari Walker with the Portland Trail Blazers for the foreseeable future after he was selected in the second round of the NBA draft. But he’s not the only former Buff that is expected to turn pro.

One other name that is seeking to play professional basketball is Evan Battey. While Battey went undrafted and has yet to receive a deal with an NBA team, he does have some opportunities overseas.

According to Battey himself in an article by Pat Rooney of BuffZone, the all-time CU fan favorite is weighing multiple offers from a few different international leagues.

“I can’t say anything for sure yet, but Greece and Japan right now are the main ones.”

Just earning an opportunity is a big step for Battey and both leagues would be terrific chances for Battey to work on his craft and achieve his dream of being a professional basketball player.

During his final year in Boulder, he averaged 12.4 points and 4.7 rebounds while being one of the best players for the Buffs. The talent is there, and he generated some conversation leading up to the NBA Draft.

We will definitely be keeping tabs on the future for Battey and would love to see him earn a chance in international ball, and right now it sounds like there are multiple offers on the table for him.

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Evan Battey to compete in the Tampa Bay Pro Combine

Evan Battey is looking to improve his NBA draft stock in the Tampa Bay Pro Combine

The Colorado Buffaloes have a couple of players eligible for the NBA draft this year with Evan Battey and Jabari Walker.

During the 2021-22 season, Walker even generated talks as a first-round choice. However, Battey is the bigger question mark of the two despite an excellent career in Boulder.

But, Battey is doing his best to get noticed by NBA scouts and is now headed to the Tampa Bay Pro Combine along with other NBA draft-eligible prospects. Others headed to Tampa include Kimani Lawrence of Arizona State, Abu Kigab of Boise State and Alex Barcello of BYU, among a number of others.

The Tampa Bay Pro Combine is a perfect chance for lesser-known players to get noticed, and it comes without having to compete with top-tier talent.

The combine will take place from Tuesday to Friday, and this is the second year the event has been held, so it will be interesting to see if this opportunity works out for these players.

Battey has a path to being drafted, and he will need to put together a nice stretch of performances to get more buzz heading into the summer.

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Buffs represented well in Pac-12 postseason honors

Three Buffs were honored on the All-Pac-12 teams

The Pac-12 regular season is over and teams now anxiously await the conference tournament in an effort to steal a bid and head to the Big Dance.

But, the Pac-12 awards were released on Tuesday, and the Colorado Buffaloes saw quite a few players crack the list.

Jabari Walker earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors after a sensational season, and his first round NBA Draft buzz from earlier in the year should pick up steam once again.

Evan Battey earned Second Team honors, and freshman standout K.J. Simpson saw his name pop up on the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.

Battey also got a nod as an honorable mention for the All-Defensive Team, something he really deserves after a strong year on that end of the court.

Tad Boyle’s group will be happy with three players honored and they will be even happier if they can steal an NCAA Tournament bid in Las Vegas this week.

Likely, the Buffs’ only hope is a Pac-12 Tournament victory, although another win against Arizona would certainly help their case as well.

Another interesting note is that the Buffs have now had at least one First or Second Team nod in all 11 years they’ve been in the Pac-12.

Surely bigger things are in store for the Buffs, but Walker, Simpson and Battey got some well-deserved recognition.

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WATCH: Emotional Evan Battey reacts to message from former teammates

A few of Evan Battey’s former teammates shared some kind words

Dry eyes were few and far between at the CU Events Center on Saturday as the Colorado Buffaloes stunned the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats on Senior Night. Evan Battey, one of the most beloved Colorado athletes of all time and one of the four seniors being honored, received a message from a few of his former teammates on the jumbotron after the game and was overcome with emotion.

McKinley Wright IV, D’Shawn Schwartz and Tyler Bey all had kind words for their friend and former teammate. Battey, Wright, Schwartz and Bey were all members of Colorado’s 2017 recruiting class, now revered as one of the best groups in program history.

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Evan Battey furthers legacy in CU Buffs’ upset of No. 2 Arizona

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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WATCH: Evan Battey receives loud ovation prior to final home game

Buff fans praised Evan Battey on Senior Night

Few Colorado Buffaloes have been as loved as Evan Battey and that was confirmed once again during Saturday’s Senior Night ceremony.

Minutes before the Buffs tipped their final regular season home game against No. 2 Arizona, Battey, along Elijah Parquet, Will Loughlin and Benan Ersek, were each recognized in front of a nearly full CU Events Center. While Parquet has also meant a great deal to Buff fans, the loudest ovation by far was given to Battey.

Make sure your volume isn’t on full blast and take a look at the ovation Battey received from the Colorado faithful.

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