MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Josh Eilert and the WVU men’s basketball announced Monday that the waiver for immediate eligibility for RaeQuan Battle has been denied by the NCAA.  

WVU also announced it will appeal the decision in the same statement.

Battle was regarded as one of the 10 best transfer portal steals of this offseason. He averaged 17.7 points per game last year as a junior with Montana State, and helped lead the Bobcats to an NCAA Tournament Berth.

Battle, a Tulalip, Washington, native has four years of Division I playing experience. Before playing two seasons at Montana State, he played two years at Washington.

As recently as his appearance at the Big 12 Tipoff event last week, Eilert and the program had not heard from the NCAA regarding Battle. The Mountaineer interim head coach remained positive that they would receive the outcome they wanted. West Virginia now searches for that outcome through its appeal.

Battle announced his intent to transfer to WVU in April.