The subtle play that showed Dillon Battie is growing up fast for Wichita State
Dillon Battie was ready for his moment.
The sophomore forward had fallen out of Wichita State’s rotation earlier this season, logging sparse minutes through nonconference play. But Battie never stopped working in practice, always trusting that his opportunity would come.
On Sunday afternoon at Koch Arena, with the Shockers suddenly thin at power forward, that patience was finally rewarded.
Battie made his first start at WSU and delivered an energetic performance in a 78-67 win over North Texas, a result that improved the Shockers to 10-7 overall and 2-2 in the American Conference. He finished with season highs of 10 points and nine rebounds, along with one block and two steals.
“Every player when they come in, they want to play,” WSU coach Paul Mills said. “You need to understand sometimes that’s not going to be the case. But your job is to respond the right way. And he’s responded the right way.”
For a player who has only played sparingly this season, Battie’s physical tools have never been in question. The 6-foot-9, 216-pound forward from Dallas flashes length, bounce and strength — attributes that were obvious on a near-highlight alley-oop late in the first half.
What kept Battie out of the regular rotation earlier in the season was discipline and awareness on the defensive end, where brief lapses have been costly. That learning curve is understandable for a player with roughly 300 career college minutes, as Battie is still learning all of his defensive responsibilities in a team construct.
His inexperience surfaced early Sunday. On the game’s first possession, Battie tried to force a handoff to Karon Boyd in the corner, only to shuffle it out of bounds. He was also stonewalled on his first three drives to the rim, while North Texas blocked four of his forays to the rim overall. Yet his confidence never wavered.
“The first four minutes of the game, I thought his eyes were too big and he’s trying to figure out what’s going on and didn’t really understand some things,” Mills said. “It was good to watch him settle in and do a good job.”
Late in the first half, with the shot clock dwindling, Battie caught the ball on the perimeter, put his head down and drove down the right side of the lane, finishing with his right hand.
That aggressiveness is what his teammates see as his calling card.
“Just his aggressiveness,” WSU star Kenyon Giles said of Battie’s impact. “He was putting force on the rim. That’s where DB is really good at. He got to showcase that in his first start. He brought a lot to the table today.”
Battie entered the game averaging just 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.3 minutes over his previous 11 appearances. But opportunity arrived after power forward Jaret Valencia suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in late December, followed by starter T.J. Williams missing Sunday’s game while in concussion protocol.
His best moment came with just over four minutes remaining, as WSU’s 17-point lead had been trimmed to 63-57. The Shockers had just committed a turnover and North Texas had all the momentum. When the ball was kicked to Battie in the corner, he once again attacked the rim — just as he had all game.
This time, though, his plan was different.
Instead of trying to barge through the double team or force a contested shot, Battie jump-stopped, played off two feet and split the defenders, sliding his way to the rim for an uncontested layup. It was a textbook example of what Mills constantly preaches about playing off two feet in the paint, proof that Battie is learning in real time.
“He gave them a great lift to start the game in the first half,” North Texas coach Daniyal Robinson said. “And then there late, he split the trap and scored it. They needed that one because we had just turned them over. So that was a big basket for them.”
The basket restored WSU’s lead to eight points and North Texas never seriously threatened again.
Battie is still learning — Mills calls him a “puppy” with “so much to learn and so far to go.” But in his first start, Battie showed more than just energy and athleticism. He showed growth.
For a player whose opportunity has finally arrived, that two-feet-in-the-paint finish may have been the most important step forward of all.
This story was originally published January 11, 2026 at 7:32 PM.
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