Texas Tech basketball: Who should be first inductees in Ring of Honor?

Tony Battie: 1994-1997

The first Texas Tech basketball player to ever be taken in the first round of the NBA Draft, Tony Battie was the most physically dominant big man in program history.  The 6-foot-11 center anchored Tech’s 1996 Sweet 16 team as a defensive presence in the middle while averaging almost ten points per game.   Ultimately, he led the Red Raiders to a 69-21 record in his three-year career which was one of the best runs in Tech basketball history.

As a junior, Battie earned honorable-mention All-American honors along with teammate Cory Carr.  He was also named first team All-Big 12.

His career scoring veering of 18.9 p.p.g. in Big 12 games is second-best in program history behind Carr’s 23.7.  What’s more, part of that run included 16-consecutive games in double-digits from 1996-97.

Battie was also a force on the glass.  His 11.7 rebounds per game is the best of any Red Raider in the Big 12 era of the program.

He was also a fantastic defender and still ranks tops in program history in career blocks (162), blocks per game (1.86), and single-season blocks (71).  Battie went on to a 15-year NBA career playing mostly as a reserve but he will forever be arguably the most imposing and dominant big men to ever play in Lubbock.