Evan Battey was the single biggest surprise of the 2017 NBPA Top 100 Camp. And there wasn’t much debate about that among the pool of evaluators at the camp. The 6-foot-6, 280-pound forward from Villa Park (CA) High School was trending in Charlottesville for all of the right reasons. 

With a number of the top overall players in the class of 2017 not at camp this season because of USA Basketball obligations, the opportunity to perform was high. Battey took full advantage. 

Battey was one of our top overall performers at the camp. He shot very well (8-19 from three), crashed the boards, scored in the paint and just proved too difficult to guard for the other versatile big men in camp. 

He’s nimble for his size, strong in the post, long enough to be valuable as a rebounder and good enough as a shooter to pick and pop all day long. Unique, as Corey Evans wrote, is the best way to describe him. 

Battey said his recruitment Arizona State (no offer), Boise State (no offer), Cal State Fullerton, Clemson (no offer), Colorado (no offer), Fresno State, James Madison, Loyola Marymount, Nevada, Oregon State (no offer), San Diego, San Jose State and Utah State

As July approaches, Battey will be a player worth watching during the NCAA Live Period. He plays for Dream Vision and his uniqueness has value in this class of 2017 for schools at all levels.