How Wichita State’s Dillon Battie left impression on Paul Mills before debut
When Dillon Battie showed up in Paul Mills’ office the day after Wichita State’s scrimmage against Santa Clara, he didn’t come empty-handed.
The 6-foot-9 sophomore forward brought a list of questions and a curiosity that immediately stood out to his new coach.
“The number of times I’ve had players come in with (questions), I can count on one hand,” Mills said. “And I can think back to the players who have done it and they’ve all been really good players. You love players who really want to grow. And he wants to grow.”
A player voluntarily asking how to get better and how to help the team win told Mills everything he needed to know about the Temple transfer who’s quickly earned a reputation in the program for his work habits and hunger to improve.
Battie’s first question was simple: How can I grow?
His second was too: How do I help the team win?
It was the kind of conversation that reaffirmed why Mills and his staff had gone so hard after Battie — a long, athletic forward with the potential to blossom if his mindset matched his talent.
Battie’s first chance to show Shocker fans what that combination looks like comes Tuesday night, when Wichita State opens the 2025-26 season at 6:30 p.m. against UNC Asheville at Koch Arena. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with a local radio broadcast on 103.7 FM.
How Dillon Battie learned to digest the game
Battie said the questions that led him to Mills’ office came straight from his journal, a habit his mother encouraged when he was younger.
After every practice or scrimmage, Battie jots down notes about what stood out: lessons, mistakes or details to remember. Then he reviews them later to “digest” the information.
“I just want to get better and become the best player that I can be,” Battie said. “I feel like hearing it straight from your coach is the best way to figure out what are the things you can improve on. That’s definitely important to me.”
That drive has quickly earned him the respect of teammates and coaches alike. During film sessions, Battie often sits next to point guard Dre Kindell and the two can usually be found discussing plays and concepts before and after meetings. He also became a regular fixture in the Roundhouse this summer, often one of the first players in the gym.
“He’s constantly in the gym all of the time and I love that about him,” senior forward Karon Boyd said. “And when he plays, I really like how aggressive he is at getting to the cup. He has great body control, so he’s going up strong to finish or he’s getting fouled. So I love that intensity.”
Battie’s combination of athleticism, scoring touch and self-awareness makes him one of the more intriguing wild cards on a WSU team with 12 newcomers.
For now, Battie is focused on the daily steps: journaling, studying, and showing up early.
“You need somebody with a growth mindset,” Mills said. “A lot of players want to be the best player on the team, but they don’t necessarily want to be the best player for the team. He was asking about how he could be the best player for the team. That’s the right mindset.”
How Wichita State plans to use transfer Dillon Battie
At Temple, Battie played primarily inside. He appeared in 20 games as a freshman, averaging 3.6 points and 1.8 rebounds while earning top freshman honors in the conference after a 16-point, eight-rebound outing against Monmouth.
His production came mostly around the basket, where he converted 75% of his 2-point attempts and rarely ventured to the perimeter.
WSU’s system under Mills, however, will ask for more versatility. Battie is still a natural scorer — “In terms of talent, he has it all,” assistant coach Kenton Paulino said — but now he’s learning to use that athleticism in new ways. The Shockers want him to stretch defenses, attack closeouts and play under control when he drives.
“You do not want to rewire guys and get them to try to defer,” Mills said. “Their (skill) is they can really, really score the ball. The issue being you have to be under control. We have to get him under control. There are times where he gets a little out of control and he can get sped up a little bit.”
Battie understands the need for an adjustment.
“I’m trying to get better about playing off of two feet,” he said. “I want to make the right play, kick out to my shooters or whatever it is. Playing under control is going to be one of the biggest leaps in my game, I feel like.”
His jumper remains a work in progress, but Mills believes Battie’s first-step burst and length make him a dangerous slasher who can get to the rim or draw contact. His role early in the season will likely come off the bench behind Jaret Valencia at power forward, but Battie is part of Mills’ planned 10-man rotation and could carve out more minutes quickly if he brings consistent energy and discipline.
Why Dillon Battie put his trust in Wichita State
Battie’s decision to transfer to WSU was built on belief, both in his potential and in Mills’ vision for it.
“I just loved his confidence in me and my ability,” Battie said. “He said he’s seen players like me and seen what type of players they turn into. He had confidence that I could do that here. That was like one of our first conversations. So I’m trusting him as a coach, he’s trusting me as a player and we’re going to build something great.”
For Mills, the excitement lies in seeing how quickly that belief becomes production. He’s seen enough to know Battie’s ceiling is high — what’s unknown is when that potential will materialize. “He’s going to be a good player,” Mills said. “And I’m not telling you that he’s not right now, but his ceiling is really, really high. The thing as a coach, you can know a guy is going to be a good player, but you don’t know when he’s going to be a good player.”
That’s why Mills has made patience part of the message to his young forward. “Progress is not made in leaps, it’s made in steps,” Mills said. “The problem with young people is that they want progress, like I need to be here today and there tomorrow. It does not work that way. You have to remind them to lean into the struggle.”
This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 5:05 AM.
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