TicketsLloyd Batts was born on May 9, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois, to a family of eight children. His father passed away when he was just 12 years old, and his mother was deaf. Because of this, Batts, along with two of his siblings, moved to the south side of Chicago to live with an aunt and uncle who could better care for them.
Batts attended Thornton Township High School, where he made a name for himself not just as one of the best high school basketball players in Chicago, but as one of the best in the state. His junior season was when many started to take notice of his talents, as he averaged nearly 30 points per game for the Wildcats. In the regional final of the 1969 state tournament against Thornton’s sister school Thornridge, Batts put on a show, dropping 32 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks.
While Batts was usually never the tallest player on the court, he was more often than not the most talented. Standing at around 6’4”, he was still able to grab rebounds with ease, while showcasing his elite scoring touch both around the rim and from distance. Described by newspapers as a “legend of local playgrounds,” Batts cemented his legacy as one of the greatest high school players in Chicago basketball history when he averaged 35 points per game across his senior season, becoming Thornton’s all-time leading scorer in the process.
The all-state guard waited until the eleventh hour to announce where he’d play college ball, signing his National Letter of Intent to the University of Cincinnati in July 1970. Long Beach State and Purdue were also in the running, but Batts ultimately picked the Bearcats due to his admiration for Oscar Robertson and Jim Ard––who won a state championship with Thornton in 1966 before committing to UC.
His college career started with a setback: Batts broke his foot during his first semester on campus, delaying his freshman-team debut until January. He dominated, looking ready to play varsity ball from the very start. One of his more incredible stat-sheet-filling games for the “Bearkittens” freshmen came against Dayton, where he shot the ball 48 times while posting 47 points and 22 rebounds.
When it came time for him to make the jump to varsity the following season, expectations were sky-high. Head coach Tay Baker immediately penciled him into the starting lineup, drawing comparisons to The Big O for his size, scoring, and rebounding ability. Ahead of his debut against Cleveland State, Batts was a nervous wreck, unable to sleep the night before. “I even had the shakes in the pregame warmup,” he told the Enquirer.
Those nerves were quickly settled when he churned out 26 points and nine boards in his debut, checking off the floor with eight minutes remaining to a standing ovation from the crowd at the Armory Fieldhouse.
Performances like that would become commonplace for the rising star, as he led the team in scoring in his sophomore season. One of his finest performances that year was against Rutgers at Madison Square Garden, where Batts dropped 40 points in an 84-74 victory.
Batts and Derrek Dickey were viewed as the focal points of the new era Bearcats when Gale Catlett was hired in 1972, as Batts continued to score at a level rarely seen in program history.
As skilled as he was, one of the greatest aspects of his game was his toughness. After it was suggested that he take two weeks off in December due to nagging shoulder, leg, and finger injuries, Batts refused, opting to play through pain. He responded by once again dominating Rutgers, dropping 24 points and 15 rebounds in a 79-58 victory.
Batts finished his junior year once again leading the team in scoring, becoming just the second player in program history, after Robertson, to score 1,000 points in his first two varsity seasons. Heading into his senior campaign, Batts was the veteran of an inexperienced squad––the only returning starter from the year before.
He continued his elite play from the previous two seasons, opening the year with a 27-point performance in an upset win over Louisville. When the teams rematched in January, Batts once again terrorized the Cardinals, dropping 20 to complete the season sweep.
One of the biggest goals for Batts and the Bearcats for the 1973-74 season was making the NCAA Tournament, a feat that UC had not accomplished since 1966. When Cincy dropped a game to Jacksonville in late February, effectively bursting the tournament bubble, Batts was distraught. “I hurt in my heart so much I could cry,” he said after the loss.
Still, an NIT berth was possible if they could find a way to knock off No. 8-ranked Marquette. It would be the last game at the Armory Fieldhouse for Batts, who used Senior Day as an opportunity to invite his family from Chicago to see the biggest game of the year. So many people came down that they required their own bus for the trip. “From my first cousin to my last,” said Batts. “Only about five had ever seen me play before.”
If some of them only got to see him play once, he certainly made sure it was memorable for them. With a trip to the postseason on the line, Batts had the game of his life. He posted 33 points and 10 rebounds, leading a second-half surge after trailing seven at halftime on the way to a 92-77 upset over the Golden Eagles.
He wrapped up his career by leading the team in scoring for a third consecutive season, placing him fourth all-time on the career scoring list in program history at the time of his graduation. His 20.1 career points per game average is the second-highest in UC history, trailing only Oscar Robertson. He earned All-American Honorable Mention honors from both the Associated Press and Sporting News and was selected by the Kansas City-Omaha Kings in the fourth round of the 1974 NBA Draft.
He enjoyed a long career professionally, featuring stops in the ABA and across Europe, including Belgium, France, and Italy. After his retirement from basketball, he would become a coach and school administrator, serving as the head basketball coach for multiple high school programs in the Chicago area. He was inducted into the UC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993.