Dillon Mitchell, formerly of Texas, commits to Cincinnati
There is still the once-consensus five-star talent in the Big 12.
On Friday, the Cincinnati Bearcats made waves on the NCAA transfer portal when they committed forward Dillon Mitchell, a former member of the Texas Longhorns.
After departing Texas a month ago, the 6’8, 205-pound player, who was eyeing Miami and Memphis among other places, still has two seasons of eligibility left. When Mitchell revealed he was leaving the Forty Acres, he also filed for the NBA Draft in 2024.
Mitchell came to Texas with high expectations because of his exceptional athleticism. In addition to being rated as the No. 2 small forward and the No. 8 prospect nationally by 247Sports Composite, Mitchell was also thought to be a potential lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft due to his exceptional athleticism.
But Mitchell had trouble shooting as a rookie, which made opponents ignore him on defense until he was in the paint and in a position to score. Due to that obvious lack of offensive production, Mitchell only averaged 17.4 minutes per game, 4.3 points, and 3.9 rebounds. He also only made 7 of 32 shots (21.9 percent) on long twos and did not attempt a three-point shot. Mitchell’s poor shooting performance at the free-throw line caused him to only convert 40.5% of his tries.
With better shooting results in drills at the combine last year, Mitchell appeared to boost his draft stock; however, when the improvement did not carry to scrimmages, he eventually withdrew from consideration.
In his sophomore campaign, Mitchell continued to dominate around the rim with 55 dunks and 80.9 percent shooting from close range. He also made some progress in his mid-range game, hitting 27.6 percent on far twos, thanks to a better handle that allowed him to advance the ball in transition after securing defensive rebounds, which he did at a rate of 22.4 percent, the best on the team. Mitchell made eight attempts at three points but was unable to hit, even though his free-throw percentage increased to 59.8%.
In 2023–24, Mitchell averaged 9.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 29.0 minutes per game. However, his field goal percentage fell significantly to 58.5 percent.
According to the site, Texas is still pursuing JT Toppin, a transfer forward from New Mexico who looks likely to become a professional after putting up a solid showing at the NBA Draft Combine.
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