raquan battle- did he make the right move?

[mslacatfan]

west virginia just lost in the first round, ended the season 9-23.

I'm assuming he has aspirations to try and play in the NBA (which I think he can, and really hope he gets a shot). Did the move to west virginia give him the best chance at making it to the next level though? honest question.

option 1- could have stayed at MSU, probably would have been one of the leading scorers in the entire country (I'm guessing 25+ ppg), good chance he would have been big sky MVP... nba scouts would take notice, we have definitely seen players make that jump from the big sky to the NBA (dillon jones will be another example).

option 2- he could have gone to Utah State with Sprinkle..... which honestly I never really understood why he didn't do that... for how much battle always said he loved Sprinkle, sprinkle was a good coach for his mental health stuff, etc..... Definitely very good NBA exposure, especially with how well the season has played out at Utah State. (side note- utah state is already nuts, crazy to think if they also had battle)

option 3- west virginia... make $200K or so..... have a terrible season..... But maybe its still the best exposure for moving up to the NBA???

maybe I'm crazy, but I really do think he would have had an increased chance at the NBA had he stayed at MSU (and hopefully he still gets a shot). I guess I'm just curious if its better to dominate a league like the big sky or be decent in a league like the Big 12 when wanting to make it to the next level?

[aucat]

Well, if Dillon Jones can get all of the NBA publicity he has received at Weber I think Battle could have accomplished that at MSU.. Like you I have no idea why he went to WV instead of USU. I guess it was the up front money. But playing on a losing team ain't fun.

[MSU01]

I tend to be of the opinion that when it comes to pro scouting, if you're good enough they will find you regardless of which level of competition you're playing at. So I don't think Raequan's chances of a pro career were significantly impacted one way or the other by playing at WVU this year instead of at MSU.

[aucat]

I tend to be of the opinion that when it comes to pro scouting, if you're good enough they will find you regardless of which level of competition you're playing at. So I don't think Raequan's chances of a pro career were significantly impacted one way or the other by playing at WVU this year instead of at MSU.

I agree, it just sucks to play on a losing team.

[MSU01]

I tend to be of the opinion that when it comes to pro scouting, if you're good enough they will find you regardless of which level of competition you're playing at. So I don't think Raequan's chances of a pro career were significantly impacted one way or the other by playing at WVU this year instead of at MSU.

I agree, it just sucks to play on a losing team.

Agreed just ask Dillon Jones in Boise each of the last three years.

[MinnesotaBobcat]

According to the Utah State board, Sprinkle told boosters that they lost out on Battle because they couldn’t match the NIL offer. Honestly, I’m not sure he would have turned down $200,000 to stay at MSU either, had Sprimkle not moved on. Honestly, there aren’t a whole lot of college kids who wouldn’t jump at that.

[Bocephus]

Had Huggins not been let go and Battle’s transfer eligibility not been delayed, this season may have looked very different. Two things he didn’t expect to happen.

[kennethnoisewater]

I love MSU and follow every sport and even some academic news. But even I wouldn't have stayed if I was in his shoes. Given what he knew at the time, playing for Huggins at WVU and making life changing money is a no-brainer. He's going to have the chance to put a down-payment on a home--something not a lot of people his age can do anymore. Not saying that's what he'll do with the money, but even blowing that money gets him right back where he was financially at MSU. I think if you gave 100 out of state kids the options he had, not one is staying at MSU. If you gave 100 in-state kids those opportunities and I think it's a really low number that sticks around. The USU option, in hindsight, probably looks like his best move. But he didn't now about Huggins, he didn't know how good USU would be, and USU wasn't giving him a bag of money. I don't know how much money you guys had at 21 or whatever, but some of you talk like you'd turn down that kind of cash. I would've transferred at that age for a $100 gift card to McDonalds and an extra pair of shoes.

[Montanabob]

I love MSU and follow every sport and even some academic news. But even I wouldn't have stayed if I was in his shoes. Given what he knew at the time, playing for Huggins at WVU and making life changing money is a no-brainer. He's going to have the chance to put a down-payment on a home--something not a lot of people his age can do anymore. Not saying that's what he'll do with the money, but even blowing that money gets him right back where he was financially at MSU. I think if you gave 100 out of state kids the options he had, not one is staying at MSU. If you gave 100 in-state kids those opportunities and I think it's a really low number that sticks around. The USU option, in hindsight, probably looks like his best move. But he didn't now about Huggins, he didn't know how good USU would be, and USU wasn't giving him a bag of money. I don't know how much money you guys had at 21 or whatever, but some of you talk like you'd turn down that kind of cash. I would've transferred at that age for a $100 gift card to McDonalds and an extra pair of shoes.

in 1984, i turned down a second job interview with a computer company in Redmond, WA...... still broke.

[Camo_Cat]

Hindsight is always 20/20. Battle has set himself up nicely if he is smart with his money. The people around him probably could have helped him make better decisions. Going to WVU to play for Huggins was a questionable decision, regardless of the money involved. Huggins has always been a walking time bomb, and it was just a matter of time before he blew up.

The unfortunate part is that Battle could have stayed at MSU, increased his star power, and had just as good of a chance to be seen by NBA scouts. Playing for a bad team and losing constantly sucks, especially in your last season. I hope he still gets his shot and doesn't have to ever look back.

[lutecat]

Wait a minute. You guys are saying it was about money. He sued because it was about his mental health.....

This is why I hate the mental health argument. It gives people that truly do things for mental health reasons a battle just for people to believe them. He lied. If he went somewhere for mental health He would've followed sprinkle. Amd you all are co friming it was a 200k payout. So when that happened he lost a fan. He can go play bf nowhere pro ball for all I care.

[nanacat]

Wait a minute. You guys are saying it was about money. He sued because it was about his mental health.....

This is why I hate the mental health argument. It gives people that truly do things for mental health reasons a battle just for people to believe them. He lied. If he went somewhere for mental health He would've followed sprinkle. Amd you all are co friming it was a 200k payout. So when that happened he lost a fan. He can go play bf nowhere pro ball for all I care.

This right here. He played the mental health card and they saw through it. So he played the money card and got what he wanted. IMO he should have followed Sprinkle, money or not. Sprinkle was key to his mental health improvement and made him a star. Then he got greedy. Which, unfortunately is the result of NIL moving forward, and he's not the first and won't be the last.

[MSU01]

If it's true that Raequan got $200K in NIL money to play for WVU this year, even after the IRS takes its share that's a very nice chunk of change for him to have in his bank account as a college graduate starting out in his career, pro basketball or not. Especially with no student loans to pay off like so many others have. Some might call it greedy, I'd call it more of a smart financial decision. The statments about mental health rubbed me the wrong way a little at first too, but I've moved on. To me it's a win-win for both sides, Raequan got his NIL money and the chance to play in the Big 12 for a year. MSU got a great new coach who has worked wonders with a team of players who wanted to be Bobcats and were 100% committed to their coaches and teammates, and they've ended up in a place most of us didn't think was possible this year.

[Bobcat4Ever]

I love MSU and follow every sport and even some academic news. But even I wouldn't have stayed if I was in his shoes. Given what he knew at the time, playing for Huggins at WVU and making life changing money is a no-brainer. He's going to have the chance to put a down-payment on a home--something not a lot of people his age can do anymore. Not saying that's what he'll do with the money, but even blowing that money gets him right back where he was financially at MSU. I think if you gave 100 out of state kids the options he had, not one is staying at MSU. If you gave 100 in-state kids those opportunities and I think it's a really low number that sticks around. The USU option, in hindsight, probably looks like his best move. But he didn't now about Huggins, he didn't know how good USU would be, and USU wasn't giving him a bag of money. I don't know how much money you guys had at 21 or whatever, but some of you talk like you'd turn down that kind of cash. I would've transferred at that age for a $100 gift card to McDonalds and an extra pair of shoes.

in 1984, i turned down a second job interview with a computer company in Redmond, WA...... still broke.

But you still have your soul.

[Bobcat4Ever]

Even though it was a losing team, RaeQuan was on national TV a number of times. Who knows, the TV networks might have flex-scheduled a WVa game a time or two, because he was always worth the price of admission. He put on a couple of real shows.

[ilovethecats]

Wait a minute. You guys are saying it was about money. He sued because it was about his mental health.....

This is why I hate the mental health argument. It gives people that truly do things for mental health reasons a battle just for people to believe them. He lied. If he went somewhere for mental health He would've followed sprinkle. Amd you all are co friming it was a 200k payout. So when that happened he lost a fan. He can go play bf nowhere pro ball for all I care.

Whoa. That is a ton of assumptions from my perspective. Mental health comes in all capacities. Who are we to question and who is to say if it was for mental health he would have followed Sprinkle? I'm sorry but that's crazy. I could just as easily say if it was about mental health he would just stop playing basketball and live with his parents! Who the hell are we to pretend we know what was in his head or why he did what he did?

And it can be both you know? Maybe he just knew he needed a change of scenery. And with that he partly based his decision on money. Who cares. Maybe money issues were the primary reason for mental health. That is a think too. Financial issues play a huge role in peoples mental health.

I just don't know how people are so quick to judge these kids and the decisions they make without having a single idea what they are going through in their lives. Yikes.

[Camo_Cat]

Wait a minute. You guys are saying it was about money. He sued because it was about his mental health.....

This is why I hate the mental health argument. It gives people that truly do things for mental health reasons a battle just for people to believe them. He lied. If he went somewhere for mental health He would've followed sprinkle. Amd you all are co friming it was a 200k payout. So when that happened he lost a fan. He can go play bf nowhere pro ball for all I care.

Whoa. That is a ton of assumptions from my perspective. Mental health comes in all capacities. Who are we to question and who is to say if it was for mental health he would have followed Sprinkle? I'm sorry but that's crazy. I could just as easily say if it was about mental health he would just stop playing basketball and live with his parents! Who the hell are we to pretend we know what was in his head or why he did what he did?

And it can be both you know? Maybe he just knew he needed a change of scenery. And with that he partly based his decision on money. Who cares. Maybe money issues were the primary reason for mental health. That is a think too. Financial issues play a huge role in peoples mental health.

I just don't know how people are so quick to judge these kids and the decisions they make without having a single idea what they are going through in their lives. Yikes.

Exactly, I don't think anyone was assuming his sole reason for transferring was his mental health. We know he had mentioned it before in the past. And I don't think any one of us was confirming he left just for the money. In my opinion, it probably was a combination of those two reasons, and throw in the fact he wanted to play for someone like Huggins and he was gonna play on a national stage in a big-time basketball conference. Regardless of WVU's season, Battle absolutely proved he belonged at that level.

I'm not ever gonna hold it against that young man for transferring, or for the reasons why. Would I have preferred he stayed? Absolutely!! I think we all wished we could have seen with Danny back at the helm, and Battle, Great, Darius, and Ford all playing together again. My hats off to Battle for choosing MSU in the first place, and giving us some great basketball while putting our program back in the conversation of relevance.