HawgBeat - Musselman on Khalif Battle: 'He's been phenomenal'
Arkansas Razorbacks basketball guard Khalif Battle continued his high-caliber play in the Hogs' win over Gardner-Webb.
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Spoiler alert: Arkansas guard Khalif Battle is really, really good at basketball.
After leading the 14th-ranked Razorbacks in scoring on opening night Monday, Battle replicated that with 21 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field with three 3-pointers and eight made free throws.
"We all know that he can really score the ball," Arkansas guard El Ellis said after the Razorbacks' 86-68 win over Gardner-Webb. "That’s his game. He scores the ball at a high level, and it doesn’t matter if he comes off the bench or not. That’s what he’s going to do."
Although he's come of the bench for the team's first two games, Battle has performed as well as an other player the Hogs have.
"He’s been phenomenal," head coach Eric Musselman said following the game. "Battle is a starter. He’s just not hearing his name called right away. He’s been our most efficient offensive player.
"He stretches the floor, he can play one-on-one, he can draw free throws. He’s a good foul shooter. He did a decent job on the defensive backboards tonight. Really happy with how he played."
Through two games, Battle has totaled 42 points, seven rebounds and three assists. He's shooting 10-18 overall (56%), 6-10 from three (60%) and 16-19 from the charity stripe (84%).
"We know what he can do," Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile said following the game. "We watched him the whole offseason. He’s probably one of the better shooters that I’ve played with. Just continue to let him get the ball. Keep his confidence high, and we know what he can do."
Though he's come off the bench in the first two games, it wouldn't be surprising to see Battle eventually work his way into a starting role. Either way though, it's obvious that the 6-foot-5 guard is within the primary rotation for Musselman, something he talked about after the game.
"Oh, it's drilled down," Musselman said. "I can already tell you that. Tonight was... you play your way in or you play your way out. Take away end of game free throws, and we were pretty good.
"Free-throw shooting is, in my opinion, an important part of the game, especially in close games. So, the guys that have proven they can make free throws when you get in late-game situations, those are the guys you hope are going to have the ball in their hands."
Up next, the No. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks will face the Old Dominion Monarchs inside Bud Walton Arena on Monday. The game is set to tip off at 7:00 p.m. CT and will stream on SEC Network Plus.
