Where Are They Now: Ditalion “Dante” Battle
After one conversation with former Shroder stand-out D’talion “Dante” Battle and it easy to see that he values loyalty, which was a major reason why the NJCAA D-II All-American chose to continue his career at Kentucky State University. “They have been recruiting me for a long time, ever since they were at Bluefield State in West Virginia,” Battle stated. “When I left Walsh to attend Cincinnati State they wanted to come to K-State with them. But they continued to come to my games and practices and really showed an interest in me.” It goes to show how good of a recruiting job K-State did as Dante turned down offers from Winthrop, Texas Southern and Albany in New York among other schools. But one look at Battle’s game and it is easy to see why he was so heavily recruited. Battle averaged over 23 points and 6 rebounds per game for the Surge while leading all of D-II NJCAA with 799 total points for the season. “I think I will help Kentucky State most scoring,” Dante stated. “Being able to make open three’s while also being an all-around elite scorer is what I feel I will bring to the table for the Thorobreds.”
When asked what advice he would give to prep athletes preparing to make the move to the next level, Dante states that time management is very key. “You are not with your parents anymore and no one is there to tell you what to do. You must use your time wisely in college,” he stated. And it sure does look like Dante has used his time wisely since his Honorable Mention All-State days at Shroder. Goes to show that going to a JUCO after high school can be much more of a blessing than a curse.
Photo courtesy of Cincinnati Enquirer