User:JRod33/sandbox

Jarrod Batiste
Jarrod Kane Batiste (born March 28, 2001) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Batiste has won the NBA Most Improved Player Award, one Olympic silver medal. He has also been selected to three NBA All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams.

Batiste attended Wake Forest University for three years of college basketball before he was selected 25th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Early life
Batiste was born on March 28, 2001 in Melbourne, Victoria to Murray Batiste and Sarah Griffiths. He has three siblings: Alyssa, Haydon and Ethan. His younger brother Ethan currently plays college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. Batiste was first interested in Australian football until his mother steered him towards basketball around the age of 11.

College career
Batiste was recruited by Wake Forest University in 2020 and signed with then Demon Deacons before the 2020-21 season. Batiste contributed off the bench for the Demon Deacons as a backup point guard. As a freshman, Batiste averaged 8.2 points, 2.9 assists and 3.0 rebounds for Wake Forest University. In Batiste's sophomore season, his numbers rose across all major statistics including: points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks and minutes. The Demon Deacons qualified for the NCAA Tournament, losing in the Sweet Sixteen to St. Joseph's. At the conclusion of the season, Batiste averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. In Batiste's third season with the Demon Deacons, Batiste's stats rose in all major statistical categories apart from blocks, despite Batiste's standout play, his team failed to qualify, mostly due to plaguing injuries throughout the team. Batiste was named Second Team Consensus All-American. Batiste opted out of his last year at Wake Forest and announced he planned to go professional

Prior to the 2024 NBA Draft, draftexpress.com, a third-party NBA website, listed Batiste's strengths and weaknesses. A few strengths include, "great team leader", "elite-level work ethic", and "potential star playmaker". Some weaknesses include, "lack of experience", "not NBA ready" and "inconsistent". The website also projected him to be picked at no. 13 by the Indiana Pacers. Other mock drafts had him projected to be picked at no. 10 by the Brooklyn Nets or at no. 12 by the Denver Nuggets due to his potential and upside. ESPN's Chad Ford had him going to the Memphis Grizzlies at pick no. 28 n the first round.

College career statistics
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year !! Team !! GP!! GS !! MPG !! FG% !! 3P% !! FT% !! RPG !! APG !! SPG!! BPG !! PPG
 * 2020-21 || Wake Forest || 29 || 2 || 18.4 || .432 || .322 || .702 || 3.0 || 2.9 || 0.9 || 0.3 || 8.2
 * 2021-22 || Wake Forest || 31 || 31 || 31.2 || .456 || .367 || .775 || 4.0 || 4.6 || 1.4 || 0.4 || 13.3
 * 2022-23 || Wake Forest || 31 || 31 || 33.4 || .489 || .382 || .813 || 4.2 || 5.2 || 1.5 || 0.3 || 16.0
 * 2021-22 || Wake Forest || 31 || 31 || 31.2 || .456 || .367 || .775 || 4.0 || 4.6 || 1.4 || 0.4 || 13.3
 * 2022-23 || Wake Forest || 31 || 31 || 33.4 || .489 || .382 || .813 || 4.2 || 5.2 || 1.5 || 0.3 || 16.0
 * 2022-23 || Wake Forest || 31 || 31 || 33.4 || .489 || .382 || .813 || 4.2 || 5.2 || 1.5 || 0.3 || 16.0