Temple’s Khalif Battle, Jamille Reynolds, Hysier Miller enter the NCAA transfer portal
With Temple's head coaching job now vacant, Battle, Reynolds and Miller could be among several players to explore the portal this offseason.
Temple guard Khalif Battle has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal.
The news, first reported by the Stadium, is the latest since it was originally reported that Battle left the program in February, a source told the Inquirer.
» READ MORE: Temple basketball star guard Khalif Battle no longer with program, says source
Battle, who transferred to Temple from Butler in 2020, averaged 17.9 points per game and ranked fourth in scoring in the American Athletic Conference this season. Prior to the Wichita State loss on Feb. 16, he had scored more than 20 points in five consecutive games. Battle was benched against the Shockers after going 0-for-4 from the floor. He was not around the team for the last five games, including an 84-54 loss to Cincinnati in the quarterfinals of the AAC tournament.
On March 2, ahead of the Owls’ regular-season finale against Tulane, former Temple head coach Aaron McKie, who stepped down from his position on Monday told reporters in reference to Battle that “We’re just moving on. We’re just going with the guys that we got.”
Heading into the 2022-23 season, Battle was a preseason All-AAC selection. Last season, he averaged 21.4 points per game through seven games before suffering a season-ending left foot injury. He made an instant impact on offense and put together some memorable moments, including a 26-point performance in a 76-71 loss to USC at the Liacouras Center in 2021.
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Reynolds also transferring...
Joining Battle in the early wave of portal entries is sophomore center Jamille Reynolds.
The big man transferred to Temple in 2022 after two years of limited action at Central Florida and averaged 10.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in his lone season with the Owls.
”We called a couple of guys from UCF,” said Temple assistant Jimmy Fenerty in October. “[McKie] talked to Johnny Dawkins and a couple of their assistants and they were like, ‘Yo, this kid’s a pro. He has all the tools, he’s just gotta get in good shape.’”
Reynolds said in a tweet that “Temple is still an option,” as he would need an NCAA waiver to play for a new team next season.
The UCF transfer also shot 60.4 percent from the field this season, the best among Temple’s qualifying scorers. Third-team All-American Athletic Conference guard Damian Dunn described Reynolds as a “generational talent” back in October.
With Temple coaching job vacant after McKie stepped down, the week could feature more portal announcements from the 2022-23 Owls.
...so is Hysier Miller
Sophomore point guard Hysier Miller will also enter the transfer portal.
Miller played his high school ball in South Philly at Neumann-Goretti before committing to Temple. As a freshman, Miller played significant minutes for the Owls when Battle went down for the season with a foot injury.
Assuming the starting point guard role for Temple this season, Miller averaged 8.6 points on 36.9 percent shooting. He also dished out 3.75 assists per game.