Tyus Battle, Syracuse’s leading scorer over the past two seasons, knew exactly where he needed to improve entering his junior year. Feedback from NBA scouts after the 2018 combine focused on two main focal points: his shot and his weak hand.

Since Syracuse lost to Duke in the 2018 Sweet 16, Battle’s improved left hand has flipped opposing team’s defensive approach. Now, they shade the natural right-hander to the right. Syracuse University assistant coach Allen Griffin even said he was “stronger” going to his off-hand. On the wings, some defenders urge him to drive right, despite it being his dominant side.

Battle’s said he’s always felt comfortable going left, even as a 10-year old. He developed his signature stepback jumper going left, giving him a new scoring element away from his dominant side.

Yet, last season, Battle noticed a lot of his points were on dribbles to the right. When he’d get into the paint with his left, he previously tried to finish with his strong hand. But it wasn’t always there. For Battle, a junior guard for Syracuse (12-5, 3-1 Atlantic Coast), his weak-hand development represents the latest refinement in his evolving game. Polishing both his abilities to get to the rim via either hand, then finishing up close, could provide a slight boost to his draft stock, players and coaches said.

“Ever since I was young, people would force me left. Now I feel really comfortable with either hand,” said Battle, who’s averaging a team-high 18 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting. “Over the summer and now, I’ve been working on my left hand a lot, finishing at the rim. It seems to be paying off.”

Daily Orange File Photo

Last summer, Battle worked with renowned trainer Drew Hanlen, who has dozens of NBA stars as clients. In addition to the progress on his shot, Battle practiced dribbling with his head up, and pounded basketballs to the ground from his weak side to make him virtually ambidextrous.

Battle, who averages 1.5 turnovers per game despite playing 36.3 minutes per game, has always been strong with the ball in his hands. But his off-hand ability was the missing piece.

“He’s a big lefty driver, very good at going that way,” Griffin said. “He just looks comfortable that way. Actually, I think most teams try to force him right.”

After bolstering his left-handed dribble strength, Battle went further. As a teenager, he’d begun to develop the ability to stop in place when driving — even when going left. Change of speed and direction, regardless of hand, makes him more unpredictable as a driver and ball-handler.

Then, Battle added another dimension to his weak-side development through constant practice: finishing. A lot of college players favor one hand, several players and coaches said. Among the small pot that use both, even fewer players feel comfortable going all of the way to the rim and finishing with their weak hand. But players said that’s where Battle excels.

Consider his and-1 in SU’s win over then-No. 16 Ohio State on Nov. 28, which Battle said epitomizes his left hand development. With one minute remaining, he drove left into the lane and floated a left-handed scoop shot in traffic. Battle weathered contact and rolled the ball off his fingertips to extend the Orange’s lead late.

While SU begins to hit the thick of conference play, Battle and Syracuse’s success hinges in part on his ability to tweak, fine-tune and add layers to his game. As the Orange’s most important player over the past two seasons, he knows unpredictably and aggression are two of his greatest assets. Going left helps him do both.

“Last year, I remember he preferred one hand,” said freshman guard Buddy Boeheim. “Now he’s doing both and that makes him a lot harder to guard. He’s growing, fine-tuning areas of his game, which is scary to think about. When he attacks the basket off the dribble, we seem to have a good rhythm.”

Published on January 17, 2019 at 12:42 am

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