The West Virginia Guard RaeQuan Battle is shown before the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers on December 6, 2023, in Morgantown, West Virginia. Battle, formerly of Montana State, has yet to play this season. College athletes like Battle, who were denied the opportunity to play immediately after transferring for a second time, can return to competition for now, after a federal judge issued a 14-day temporary restraining order Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, against the NCAA. (William Watring/Dominion Post via AP)
One can only guess how ailing West Virginia guard RaeQuan Battle had to miss his own party Saturday night as the Mountaineers fought hard to be a part of the game for the Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts.
He had poured his heart into his long fight against the unfairness of the NCAA by declaring him ineligible in the first place, but now as the game approached he was spilling fluids from other parts of his body.
They classified it as flu-like symptoms, but the aches and pains that come with the flu are nothing compared to the ones he experienced when he watched his team lose again, this time to UMass, in a game specifically designed for what he had to do. Displays.
It was supposed to be an early Christmas present for him, but it fell through on a day when so much else was going wrong with the team.
If you can imagine his pain, think of the joy he brought today to his teammate, Josiah Harris.
I had read about him this year, and how excited he was on graduation day… but not because he was a senior.
He was a second year graduating student.
He brought about 60 credits he earned while in high school and community college with him to West Virginia, and allowed his family to see him apply for that degree, fulfilling a dream that pushed him into fields other high school students dared. No tread.
Then he took off his hat and gown, grabbed all his gear for a day trip to Massachusetts, and flew to Springfield, where he joined his team at a basketball game that night.
His first post-grad test was good, except for the score, as he scored 10 points, hit a few 3s and two key baskets and grabbed six rebounds to lead WVU where it needed the most help.
Then there was Kerr Krysa, who scored 20 points on his first night out of NCAA prison, added 7 assists and showed everyone and the national television audience on ESPNU what they had been missing in those 9 games he missed.
But as happy as he was, he thought about his mother, Kirsti Cole, who had come from his native Estonia to see her son in his first game at West Virginia University.
Of course, as long as you’re there on the East Coast, it’s a good idea to stop in Manhattan and do some Christmas shopping, just to make it extra special.
Then there was Noah Farrakhan, whose mother found it easier to get to Manhattan, Massachusetts, from her home in Hillside, New Jersey, and got his own Christmas surprise when the NCAA decided to give in to pressure over the transfer rule and reject it. Granting exemptions from eligibility.
Farrakhan, who played last year at Eastern Michigan, was certain he wouldn’t play this year because there was no waiver request case. But he, along with Battle, are cleared to play immediately and don’t have to worry about losing a year of eligibility if the NCAA wins the court case.
So he was thrown into action in this game and proved to be a force, scoring 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting with 4 assists in a performance that would instantly raise his profile.
But the shame is that Battle was denied his Farrakhan moment, because it never would have happened without Battle baring his soul while challenging the NCAA’s authority to make the decision it did.
But somehow, he is getting a break now, as he can make his debut on home soil, at the Coliseum, and walk the carpet as the spotlight shines on him and the fans cheer his arrival.
It’s sure to be a moment he cherishes and takes with him, one he’ll remember longer than the illness he’s had this week… unless the ride home is a bit bumpy.
Fans of the Battle football team have been eagerly awaiting the debut of their star player, Herzl, but it seems they will have to wait a little longer. The highly anticipated debut has been postponed, leaving fans disappointed but still hopeful for the future. Despite the delay, excitement and anticipation continue to run high as the team prepares for their upcoming games. With Herzl’s talent and dedication, it’s clear that his debut will be well worth the wait.