University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Mike Morrell Announces Addition of Lavar Batts, Jr.
06.20.2018 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville men's basketball head coach Mike Morrell recently announced the addition of Lavar Batts, Jr.
Batts transfers in to UNC Asheville from NC State. He will sit out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA Division I transfer rules.
"We are extremely excited about Lavar joining our program," Morrell said. "He is a great fit for UNC Asheville as a person and for our style of play on the floor. Our fans are going to love having him as a part of our family."
A 6-foot-2, 170-pound guard, Batts played in 30 games for the Wolfpack as a freshman. He averaged 3.7 points, 1.5 assists and 1.2 rebounds per game. Batts had a season-high five assists in NC State's upset of second-ranked Duke on Jan. 6.
Batts was listed as the top-ranked player in the state of North Carolina by 247Sports and Rivals coming out of high school. The consensus four-star recruit was ranked among the top-100 players in the country as a senior by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN.
Batts played his high school basketball at Jay M. Robinson High School in Concord, N.C. for his father, Lavar Batts, Sr. He ended his prep career as the all-time leading scorer in Cabarrus County history with 2,174 points.
In leading his team to the state quarterfinals, Batts averaged 23.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game as a senior.
One year earlier as a junior at Jay M. Robinson, Batts averaged 20.7 points, 5.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game to lead his high school team to the North Carolina Class 3A State Championship.
Batts was chosen the North Carolina MVP of the Carolinas Classic and he was named the MVP and Slam Dunk champion at the CabCO Classic All-Star Game. Batts played his AAU basketball for Chris Paul's Team CP3.
Batts joins 6-foot-8 forward Luke Lawson, 6-foot-2 point guard DeVon Baker, 6-foot-7 forward Jax Levitch, 6-foot-2 combo guard Cress Worthy and 6-foot-5 wing Stephen Edoka as the latest to join the UNC Asheville men's basketball program.
They join a UNC Asheville men's basketball program coming off its second straight regular-season Big South Conference championship and third straight postseason appearance with the Bulldogs playing in the 2018 National Invitation Tournament.
UNC Asheville men's basketball picked up its seventh Big South Conference regular-season title (1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2007-08, 2011-12, 2016-17 and 2017-18) this past season.
The Bulldogs continued to set the standard in the Big South this past season by becoming the first program in league history to win 15 games or more for 11 straight seasons. The Bulldogs have also now won 10 or more league games in a season in a Big South men's basketball record 11 straight seasons.
**Photo in graphic by USA TODAY Sports**
Batts transfers in to UNC Asheville from NC State. He will sit out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA Division I transfer rules.
"We are extremely excited about Lavar joining our program," Morrell said. "He is a great fit for UNC Asheville as a person and for our style of play on the floor. Our fans are going to love having him as a part of our family."
A 6-foot-2, 170-pound guard, Batts played in 30 games for the Wolfpack as a freshman. He averaged 3.7 points, 1.5 assists and 1.2 rebounds per game. Batts had a season-high five assists in NC State's upset of second-ranked Duke on Jan. 6.
Batts was listed as the top-ranked player in the state of North Carolina by 247Sports and Rivals coming out of high school. The consensus four-star recruit was ranked among the top-100 players in the country as a senior by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN.
Batts played his high school basketball at Jay M. Robinson High School in Concord, N.C. for his father, Lavar Batts, Sr. He ended his prep career as the all-time leading scorer in Cabarrus County history with 2,174 points.
In leading his team to the state quarterfinals, Batts averaged 23.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game as a senior.
One year earlier as a junior at Jay M. Robinson, Batts averaged 20.7 points, 5.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game to lead his high school team to the North Carolina Class 3A State Championship.
Batts was chosen the North Carolina MVP of the Carolinas Classic and he was named the MVP and Slam Dunk champion at the CabCO Classic All-Star Game. Batts played his AAU basketball for Chris Paul's Team CP3.
Batts joins 6-foot-8 forward Luke Lawson, 6-foot-2 point guard DeVon Baker, 6-foot-7 forward Jax Levitch, 6-foot-2 combo guard Cress Worthy and 6-foot-5 wing Stephen Edoka as the latest to join the UNC Asheville men's basketball program.
They join a UNC Asheville men's basketball program coming off its second straight regular-season Big South Conference championship and third straight postseason appearance with the Bulldogs playing in the 2018 National Invitation Tournament.
UNC Asheville men's basketball picked up its seventh Big South Conference regular-season title (1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2007-08, 2011-12, 2016-17 and 2017-18) this past season.
The Bulldogs continued to set the standard in the Big South this past season by becoming the first program in league history to win 15 games or more for 11 straight seasons. The Bulldogs have also now won 10 or more league games in a season in a Big South men's basketball record 11 straight seasons.
**Photo in graphic by USA TODAY Sports**
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