Jamison Battle announces transfer from Minnesota to Ohio State

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s second-leading scorer JamisonBattle has decided to transfer to Ohio State for his final collegeseason, the fifth-year forward announced Thursday on his Instagramaccount.

The 6-foot-7 Battle was a preseason All-Big Ten pick who missedthe first four games of the season with a foot injury and playedthrough back trouble down the stretch. He averaged 12.4 points pergame with career-low shooting rates of 37.1 percent from the floorand 31.1 percent from 3-point range. He made a 3-pointer at thebuzzer to beat Rutgers on March 2.

Gophers coach Ben Johnson said after Battle participated in theteam’s senior day ceremony that he was leaning toward turning pro,but he entered the portal to keep his options open.

Battle had a superb debut season with the Gophers in 2021-22,when he averaged 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game with 36.6%shooting from 3-point range. The Minnesota native transferred homeafter playing his first two seasons at George Washington.

The Gophers finished 9-22 overall in 2022-23 and in last placein the Big Ten. The Buckeyes were second-to-last before winningthree games at the Big Ten Tournament to reach the semifinals. Theyfinished 16-19.