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Tyrell Terry & Jamison Battle, DeLaSalle's Dynamic Duo, Aim For 1 Last State Title

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- They are a one-two punch and more at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis.

Tyrell Terry and Jamison Battle are two of the top seniors in Minnesota, and both in the top 10 for Mr. Basketball.

Terry is bound for Stanford University.

"Terry's just a lightning-quick point guard with ultra-smarts on the court," said Coach Travis Bledsoe. "[He] knows the game, he can see it before it happens. Great shooter.

Battle will play at George Washington University.

"Tough, strong kid, inside-out threat, very versatile, one of the best in the state," Bledsoe said.

These two Islanders make each other better, in large part because they are more than teammates.

Jamison Battle and Tyrell Terry
Jamison Battle and Tyrell Terry (credit: CBS)

"We've been playing since 15AU, we've got a great connection," Terry said. "I love passing to him because he's a great shooter. And we're best friends off the court, so it's very fun to play with him."

That's the bond -- that they love to play together.

"I think he's just a great point guard, obviously number one in Minnesota, and I think he's a top-tier point guard in the nation," Battle said.

Both are also driven by the fact that Columbia Heights ended a run of six-straight state titles last year in the semifinals. There was pain.

"I remember sitting in the locker room after the semifinal game just, I remember seeing everyone, all the seniors in there, crying and all that," Battle said. "I don't want to feel that way."

That's why this season there is such purpose.

"I remember what happened last year, having that hunger. I feel like last year we didn't have that hunger we had," Terry said. "We thought we were unbeatable, and this year we know we can be beat, so that's always in the back of our minds."

So they move on in the final chapter of their high school basketball careers. Like so many that have played on Nicollet Island, they have made an impact. Like so many that have come this way, they are a coach's dream.

"Very driven," Bledsoe said. "We've been together for a little bit now, and we've been through some things together. It just makes this a special moment because I know this is the last year we're going to be together, and we just want to go out with a bang."

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