RaeQuan Battle released a video early this afternoon with a “message for the NCAA.”
“Typically mental health transfers would choose to stay home, I already had that experience,” said Battle. “Playing in Washington, I lost countless people to just COVID, drugs, and alcohol, I already experienced that growing up as well and it wasn’t anything new to me growing up on the reservation. I wasn’t able to focus on what I had to do playing home and that’s kind of what made me choose to play away from home. A lot of hardships would have bothered me if I’m close.”
Battle cites interim head coach Josh Eilert growing up on the reservation for a few years as a reason why they were able to build “such a huge comfortable connection.”
“Coach Eilert blew me away when I flew over for my visit. He grew up on the reservation for a few years as well which is why we built such a huge comfortable connection.”
When Battle was at Montana State, his coach, Danny Sprinkle, left to take the same position at Utah State.
“I’ve had three coaches in the past year, something I never thought would happen and a lot of this was out of my control. It took a huge toll. I was left in the dust a lot and it made me feel very uncomfortable. West Virginia has offered many programs for me to focus on my mental health such as the Rockefeller Neuroscience Center. Things like this are reasons I’ve shown a tremendous amount of progress since being at West Virginia.
Battle ended his video with a message to the NCAA.
“The NCAA has already acknowledged my mental health, but they question why West Virginia. Now I hope you know why.”
Battle’s video comes as he has had his waiver to play denied by the NCAA, as well as his secondary appeal to try and overturn the decision of the waiver.
