Arkansas guard Khalif Battle to enter transfer portal
Arkansas graduate senior guard Khalif Battle is expected to enter the transfer portal, according to a report from Jon Rothstein. The news comes shortly after Eric Musselman's official hiring to be the next head coach of the USC Trojans.
The former Temple transfer started the 2023-24 season off strong with four-straight double-digit performances — including two 21-point games — before lighting the world on fire against No. 7 Duke (21 points) on Nov. 29.
Once conference play started, Battle saw a major dip in playing time and only registered two double-digit outings between Dec. 21 and Feb. 17. That included five games where he received under 10 minutes of playing time.
The 6-foot-5, 185-pound scoring machine finished the season strong, though, as he had nine-straight double-digit games that included two 30+ point scoring nights with a career-high 42 points against Missouri.
Following the conclusion of the Razorbacks' 16-17 (6-12 SEC) campaign, Battle said that he was planning on getting feedback from the NBA before making his final decision to return or leave the program.
"So definitely taking a part of that process and then also seeing how things shake up back here," Battle said on March 20. "But as of now, my mindset is definitely coming back. Right now I’m focused on the next level and seeing where I could get better at to get there one day."
Battle averaged 14.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 40.6% from the field, 35.3% from beyond the arch and 87.3% from the charity stripe.
Following Battle's expected departure, seven players — Denijay Harris, Keyon Menifield Jr., Joseph Pinion, Davonte Davis, Layden Blocker, Baye Fall and now Battle— have announced their intentions to transfer from the program. Follow along with regular updates for the Arkansas roster and transfer portal targets here.
View Battle's official player page on the Razorback roster for more information.