Batista turns in Classic game when needed
OKLAHOMA CITY – All of the early-season waiting, watching and learning paid off for J.P. Batista Tuesday night.
Gonzaga’s 6-foot-8, 269-pound junior center, who has been primarily a role player so far this season, stepped into the spotlight against No. 3-ranked and previously unbeaten Oklahoma State in the second game of the Touchstone Energy All-College Classic at the Ford Center and helped lift the Bulldogs to a 78-75 upset win over the Cowboys.
With Zags scoring leader Ronny Turiaf limited to 18 minutes because of an ankle sprain, Batista, a first-year transfer from Barton County (Kan.) Community College, played a career-high 30 minutes and finished with a career-high 18 points.
He made his first eight field-goal attempts, finished play after play inside with an assortment of nifty moves and did a terrific job of defending one-on-one on the low blocks.
He was rewarded for his effort by being named the most valuable player in this year’s All-College Classic.
“We knew what he was capable of,” said teammate Adam Morrison, who scored a team-high 19 points and joined Batista on the all-Classic team. “It’s just taken him a while to get comfortable with Division I basketball, but he’s starting to come along.
“He’s so much bigger than those guys inside, and when Ro (Turiaf) went down, (assistant) coach (Leon) Rice kept saying, ‘Give it to J.P.! Give it to J.P.!’ So we did, and once he started going to work, they couldn’t stop him.”
Batista missed GU’s first two games after being suspended by the NCAA for attending a summer basketball camp while he was in junior college. He finished 8 for 9 from the field and 2 for 2 from the foul line. He added three rebounds, an assist and a steal in what he admitted was a much-needed breakout game.
“It’s been frustrating having to wait and watch,” said the native Brazilian, who averaged 20.2 points and 9.2 rebounds at Barton College last winter. “But I’ve done my best to learn from it, and tonight I made the most of my opportunity.”
Turiaf, whose playing status was in doubt until the opening tip because of the ankle sprain he suffered during a Christmas Day practice, said he talked to Batista before the game.
“I told him, ‘J.P., listen to me. Today I might not be able to play too much, but I’m going to start the game and you’re going to finish it,’ ” Turiaf recalled. “He said, ‘O.K., Ro. O.K., Ro.’ And then during the game, when he was scoring all those points, I said, ‘J.P., they can’t stop you. You’re too strong, so keep going.’ And he said, ‘O.K., Ro. O.K., Ro.’
“It’s nice to have that little juggernaut in our pocket, because if I go down, J.P. can step in and do the job. That’s why he’s so good is because he understands what he brings to the team as far as posting real hard, getting some rebounds and giving us another physical presence in the post. And tonight, he was just awesome – with a capital A.”
According to point guard Derek Raivio, Batista has done a splendid job of waiting out his big chance.
“We’ve got a ton of good big guys on our team right now and he’s had to pay his dues,” he said of Batista, who came into the game averaging less than 20 minutes and seven points per game. “He’s a real strong guy, someone you don’t want to run into if you’re going down the lane. When he gets the ball and gets position on you, he’s tough to cover because he’s so strong.
“And tonight he really shined when we needed him most.”