Arkansas transfer Khalif Battle has signed a financial aid agreement with Gonzaga.
Gonzaga fans have been eagerly contemplating various lineup and rotation scenarios for next season since Khalif Battle announced his commitment to the Bulldogs last week.
Now, the former Arkansas guard is officially part of the team for the 2024-25 college basketball season after signing a financial aid agreement with Gonzaga on Thursday, as announced by the school.
The 6-foot-6, 185-pound guard joins Gonzaga for his sixth and final year of eligibility, having previously played one season at Arkansas, three at Temple, and one at Butler.
Battle is anticipated to enhance Gonzaga’s veteran backcourt, which includes returning starting point guard Ryan Nembhard and shooting guard Nolan Hickman.
In his sole season in the SEC, Battle averaged 14.8 points in 24.8 minutes per game, with a notable increase in performance towards the end of the season, where he averaged 29.6 points and 6.3 rebounds over the Razorbacks’ last seven games.
With 1,343 points scored over 101 games at his previous schools, Battle will be one of three 1,000-point career scorers on Gonzaga’s roster next season, alongside Graham Ike (1,354) and Nembhard (1,194).
In a standout stretch near the end of the 2023-24 season, Battle scored 113 points against three SEC opponents, with 42 against Missouri, 36 against Vanderbilt, and 24 against Kentucky.
During his junior year at Temple, Battle made a career-high 77 three-pointers and hit 48 last season at Arkansas at a 35% rate. He also ranked 17th nationally with 186 free throws made last season, shooting 87.3% from the line, which was fifth in the SEC.
A native of Hillsdale, New Jersey, Battle is one of three transfers potentially joining Gonzaga’s roster for 2024-25. The Bulldogs have signed Pepperdine wing Michael Ajayi, though he is also considering the NBA draft. Additionally, Tarleton State transfer Emmanuel Innocenti, an all-defensive and all-freshman selection in the Western Athletic Conference last year, committed to Gonzaga on Wednesday.
