**Former Texas F Dillon Mitchell Commits to Cincinnati**
The Cincinnati Bearcats made a significant acquisition in the NCAA transfer portal on Friday with the commitment of former Texas Longhorns forward Dillon Mitchell. Mitchell, a one-time consensus five-star prospect, will remain in the Big 12 as he joins the Bearcats.
The 6’8″, 205-pound forward has two seasons of eligibility left after exploring options at Miami and Memphis, among other programs, following his departure from Texas a month ago. He had also declared for the 2024 NBA Draft when he announced his decision to leave Texas.
Mitchell arrived at Texas with lofty expectations, ranked as the No. 8 prospect nationally and the No. 2 small forward according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. A product of Montverde Academy, he was considered a potential lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft due to his exceptional athleticism.
However, Mitchell’s freshman year at Texas revealed struggles, particularly with his shooting. Opponents often ignored him defensively unless he was positioned in the paint, limiting his offensive impact. He averaged 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game, shooting just 21.9 percent on long twos and abstaining from three-point attempts. His free-throw shooting was also problematic, hitting only 40.5 percent.
Despite showing improved shooting in drills at last year’s NBA Draft Combine, Mitchell withdrew from the draft when this improvement didn’t translate to scrimmages.
In his sophomore season, Mitchell’s improved ball-handling allowed him to push the ball in transition after securing defensive rebounds, which he did at a team-best rate of 22.4 percent. He showed some progress with mid-range shooting, making 27.6 percent of his long twos and continued to excel at finishing around the rim, achieving 55 dunks and 80.9-percent shooting on close twos. His free-throw percentage improved to 59.8 percent, although he missed all eight of his three-point attempts.
Playing 29.0 minutes per game in the 2023-24 season, Mitchell averaged 9.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks, with a slightly decreased field-goal percentage of 58.5 percent.
Meanwhile, Texas is still pursuing New Mexico transfer forward JT Toppin, who might turn professional after a strong performance at the NBA Draft Combine.
