Mid-Majors Shine Together

As a draft blogger, you grow attached to certain teams. Of course, you watch the same big schools that everyone else does. The Blue Devils, Kentucky, and the Jayhawks. But you also watch the same small schools over and over again and find yourself getting to know not only their star player, but the rest of the team as well. Not only do you want to see these schools make the NCAA tournament in order to evaluate them on a bigger stage, but also because you start to become a fan of the school. For most small schools with NBA prospects, this is a rare opportunity for exposure and it is fun to be along for the ride with them.

Among the teams that I have found myself watching over and over again this year are North Texas, South Dakota State, Murray State, Detroit, Bucknell, Illinois State, Creighton, and Lehigh. There are other schools as well - Long Beach State and James Ennis, Davidson, Drexel, and Tennessee State.

Tonight, quite a few of the prominent mid/low-major schools were in action. North Texas played Troy and got their first conference win after starting off 0-2. Now, Troy is the worst team in the Sun Belt so it is no reason to get excited for the simple fact that they got the victory. But Tony Mitchell had his best game of the season - scoring 29 points and adding 15 rebounds. Mitchell is capable of these performances against any Sun Belt team, but it is more impressive how he did it. He was the aggressive Tony Mitchell we've been waiting to see all season. He got to the line 12 times, blocked 4 shots, and finally took advantage of easy points in transition by running the court. North Texas's offense had a sense of rhythm to it that has been rare this season. Granted it was Troy, but this is a good blueprint for them to follow for the rest of the season.

The attitude of North Texas fans towards Mitchell is a mixed bag, with a lot of fans disappointed in his effort so far this season. He's not the typical low-major star where he is worshiped on campus. He has his fair share of detractors.

Out in South Dakota, however, they live and breath Jackrabbits basketball because of Nate Wolters. Wolters has been a major part of the program for 4 seasons and is looking to get his team back into the NCAA tournament for the second straight season. They improved to 2-1 in the Summit League with their blowout victory over UMKC tonight (nicknamed the Kangaroos). Wolters was a big part of it - scoring 23 points and also providing 7 helpers. He didn't take over the game in a dominating sense. But he did control the game and its pace. The game moves slower for him than the rest of the players and he does a good job manipulating angles to get inside and show off his floater game. He also made a series of nice passes and delivered them in crafty ways. Now, I've been holding off on comparing him to any NBA player but I've had a guy in mind the entire time - Jeremy Lin. I've been hesitant to say it because of all the other things that are associated with Lin.

But if you look back at Lin at Harvard, you will see the similarities. Neither was a great shooter, but both were excellent in the pick and roll game because of their ability to play at their own pace. They are average athletes, attackers, have good touch inside, play with confidence, struggle defensively, and have similar slow release jumpshots. Lin was never looked at as much of a NBA player but obviously put in a lot of work between college and the Knicks to get to where he is now. Wolters is no stranger to work and has Lin's roadmap to the NBA to follow.

Also in action was Detroit who handled Milwaukee to advance to 1-0 in Horizon League play. Ray McCallum had a modest 13 points, but also helped out with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. McCallum is viewed as a second rounder at best on DraftExpress, but I see him as a very good backup point guard that is capable of starting for some teams - a less crafty Eric Maynor type. I highlighted McCallum's notable plays from tonight in the video below. I must say, he hasn't shown a lot of versatility in his game for much of this season. He's settling for 3s while being very good out in transition. We know he is capable of other things though, and has been impressive at times - such as the 2nd half against Syracuse.

In other action, Long Beach State lost a tough one to Cal Poly 79-73. Both teams look like contenders to win the Big West's automatic bid, but I'm rooting for LBSU in order to see Ennis in at least one more high profile game. He had 22 points and 5 blocks tonight.

Tennessee State advanced to 2-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference, despite Patrick Miller and Robert Covington being out. Covington has been out for both wins and figures to miss 4 to 6 more weeks after his recent knee surgery. Tennessee State didn't look like a good team in non-conference play, so their start is a bit surprising. Although, this is the OVC.

Still, Tennessee State will need to win their conference tournament and they will have a tough time upsetting Murray State. The Racers held off TSU in last year's championship game and the talent gap between the two teams has widened. Murray State may be more dangerous than last year's team with even more experience and the emergence of Ed Daniel. They picked up their first OVC win tonight against Tennessee-Martin.

Tony Mitchell Begins Sun Belt Play After Quiet OOC

Tony Mitchell and North Texas went up against the class of the Sun Belt, Western Kentucky, in a rematch against last year's Sun Belt Championship game. Mitchell has a strong history against WKU, having scored a combined 39 points on only 6 missed shots, in his two games against the Hilltoppers last season. This game did not go as well for Mitchell.

North Texas got down early in the first half and trailed at halftime 37-26. Mitchell and North Texas rallied to begin the 2nd half and brought the game within a bucket before Mitchell picked up his fourth foul with 10:17 remaining. The Mean Green didn't fold with their star on the bench. Mitchell didn't return until the 4:29 mark and when he did, it was still a one possession game. Down the stretch, North Texas was unable to make any shots - the sole field goal coming on a Mitchell 3-pter. But Mitchell was hardly involved in the offense all game.

Mitchell finished with 7 points as Western Kentucky devised a gameplan to stop him. They fronted him in the post and used a sagging zone defense to deny post entry passes. As I discussed before, it is difficult to run an offense through Mitchell when he is the center of attention because he isn't a good passer. He turned the ball over twice on forced passes tonight. So while you'd like to see Mitchell more involved in the offense, its hard given his skillset. He lacks any post moves, is uncomfortable on the perimeter, and struggles to make plays for his teammates. Mitchell scored his 7 points on that 3-pter, a 15 foot jumper, and a putback dunk. He doesn't shoot the ball like the 40% 3-pt shooter he was last year, lacking range, but his midrange jumper has potential.

Defensively is where Mitchell makes his greatest impact for the Mean Green. He is a strong post defender who uses his length and body to force tough shots in one on one defense. He does a good job trying not to foul - keeping his arms straight up and down - despite the 4 fouls he collected tonight (one was a questionable charge foul, and a few were due to being late rotating). Mitchell is also a terrific weakside shot blocker. And while he lacks the motor of an elite rebounder, he is able to pull down rebounds in traffic that few college athletes can.

His hustle is still questionable. Mitchell is always late into the frame getting back on both offense and defense. He has little sense of urgency in that regard. He did show some positive effort closing out on shooters, however.

With Mitchell, I've been waiting to see more - something to get really excited about. I expected him to be much improved in his first full year, but he's still the same player from a year ago. The new coaching isn't helping him. He hasn't shown any new skills. His shooting doesn't hold much promise even though he is gravitating outside even more for perimeter jumpers. If Mitchell dedicates himself to the post, he can be a great defender at the power forward position and learn the necessary post moves, but it is up to him which direction he wants to go.

Recap from Last Night and Tonight's Games to Watch 12/21/12

Last night was a disappointing night for 57 NBA scouts who flocked to Denton, Texas to see CJ McCollom and Tony Mitchell to battle. McCollom did not play as he is recovering from a mild ankle injury and Tony Mitchell didn't start for "disciplinary reasons". There is no better way to piss off scouts than to be forced to start the game on the bench for doing something stupid. Especially a game as big as this. Mitchell scored 22 points and grabbed boards but this season has done anything but solidify himself as a lottery pick. He looks like a potential draft day free faller.

Arkansas found them in a tight game against Robert Morris, which they pulled out 79-74. BJ Young was able to score off the bounce when the Razorbacks needed him. Young also turned it over multiple times on lazy passes inside and showed little urgency in getting back on defense to make up for his mistakes. His shot continues to struggles as well, especially at the line where his slingshot form isn't doing him any favors. For a guy who plans to make a living as a slasher, a sub 70% FT shooting is a problem. Below are highlights:

I also went back and looked at the Cincinnati-Xavier game. Semaj Christon is a definite first round talent and has lots of room to grow. Right now he relies on his explosive, long strides off the dribble to get into the lane and score. He has a nice floater game and is able to rise above the defense and get it off. He has elite physical attributes for a point guard and does a nice job staying under control in the lane. His decision making and point guard skills need work, but show potential. Christon definitely needs to work on his shot - both off the dribble and spotting up. Its the main thing holding him back from being dominant in college.

The star of the night was Mason Plumlee, who was the only Duke player who didn't appear tired on the second night of a back to back. He had 21 points and 15 rebounds - the majority of which came in the first half when the game still in question.


Game of the Night: BYU at Baylor 9pm ESPN2

Coming off the the news that Jabari Parker will not be spending his next year in Provo, the BYU basketball team must move on to face Baylor. Depending on what Baylor team they get, they could potentially get the win. Tyler Haws has been one of the biggest pleasant surprises in the nation and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Baylor's athletic perimeter. Senior Brandon Davies is having a great year himself and has the task of playing well against Cory Jefferson and Isaiah Austin. Meanwhile Isaiah Austin has only made 1 free throw in his last 5 games, but is coming off two straight 10+ rebound games. Austin has to consistently show he will play tough inside this year, even with his strength limitations, if he wants to be projected as anything more than a stretch big man.

Other games to keep an eye on:

Florida Atlantic at Indiana 7pm ESPN2 - Victor Oladipo is clearly their best upperclassmen prospect on the team, but who is second? Cases can be made for Jordan Hulls, Christian Watford, and Will Sheehey. Watford would have been the easy answer just a year ago, but his efficiency has FG% has fallen for the third straight year. He hasn't gotten much better over his time in Bloomington and looks like a skinny PF. He got bullied inside against Butler. My pick of the three? Will Sheehey.

Bowling Green at South Florida 7pm - Anthony Collins is the name to watch here. The sophomore point guard looked great two weeks ago against Marcus Smart, but has only played one time since so Im eager to check him out again. He's a true point guard who can be a pest defensively. Is he just off to a hot start or is he legit? Big East play will certainly answer that question.

Longwood at Virginia Commonwealth 7:30pm - VCU is always exciting to watch and while they don't have any surefire NBA prospects, Treveon Graham has made great strides in his sophomore year. He is a power wing who can drive to the basket and hit the outside shot. He has gone from a reserve to top scorer on a team that likely is top 25 in the country. It feels weird question a VCU player's defense, but the biggest concern with him may be whether he can defend wings in the NBA. He's a combo forward at this point. Also keep an eye on Michael Kessens, the leading freshman rebounder in the nation at 10.3 boards per contest.

USC Upstate at Tennessee State 8pm - This Tennessee State team continues to play awful basketball, getting demolished by Middle Tennessee State last game. Covington's lack of perimeter skills have been exposed playing next to incapable guards. Maybe a game against USC Upstate is competition they can actually hang with.

Northern Arizona at Colorado 8:30pm - After getting major praise from media pundits before the Kansas game, Spencer Dinwiddie now has scored 5 points and tallied 2 assists in his last 2 games. Hes shooting 1-8 from the floor and has 7 turnovers. He suffered an injury in the game against Kansas (but came back) and it could have affected him against Fresno, but its an ugly line either way. Andre Roberson still is by far the best prospect on this team and has started to play better as of late. He has hit 4 of his last 5 threes and has grabbed at least 11 boards in each of his last 6 games.

Buffalo vs Washington State 10:30pm - Always need to have a late game and this one pits two very different power forwards against each other. Watch the matchup between Brock Motum and Javon McCrea inside. Motum has 5 straight games where he's scored at least 23 points. He's not as pure of a shooter as other stretch forwards like Eric Murphy, but has more variety in his scoring arsenal.

Also I'll try to get highlight videos from Alex Len's and Jarnell Stokes' games tonight.

12/20/12 Games to Watch and a Recap of Last NIght

I didn't get a chance to recap the North Carolina State/Stanford game yesterday, so I'll do it now since it was a notable game.

Lorenzo Brown was the "good" Lorenzo Brown that we saw last year. He finally got the better of another good guard - Chasson Randle being the victim. Brown did a great job finding the hot hand early on - finding Scott Wood in position to hit 5 3-pters in the first half. After Wood cooled down, Brown looked for his own offense in the second half and finished with 24 points on 15 shots.

Brown did a nice job pushing the ball in transition. His craftiness with the ball allowed him to navigate through traffic at a controlled pace, using his size to help shield the ball, and hit an array of floaters in the lane. He also showed the Eurostep a couple of times. The eurostep, his size, his craftiness, and his touch help make him a very good scorer inside when he is aggressive.

Brown is not the only NC State player who uses to floater to score in bunches - all three of Rodney Purvis's field goals came off floaters and TJ Warren has a very good floor game as well. Purvis was key in the first half before Brown took over and was able to blow by Stanford's slowish guards at ease. I cant think of another team that uses the floater as well as the Wolfpack.

Inside, CJ Leslie really struggled in the first half. He was bullied by Dwight Powell (who scored 15 first half points) and completely out of sync offensively. He airballed a long fadeaway, turned it over on a lazy pass, and took multiple bad shots on out of control drives. In the second half, some of his wild plays started to actually fall for Leslie and he finished with 16 points. Still, its been the same story with Leslie for years. He has awful offensive possessions and then shows the flash of the spectacular. The bottom line is he doesn't have anything reliable on the offensive end. His jumper is inconsistent and his awkward, out of control drives are more style over substance. He is the next Andray Blatche.

Meanwhile, Richard Howell continues to impress. He was always the garbage man for Leslie, but has taken over - for now at least - as the Pack's leading scorer. He is still mainly a garbage man, but he's terrific at his role. Howell is so tough inside finishing through contact, has good footwork, and surprisingly quick moves to the bucket. Unlike Leslie, he has efficient ways to score. On top of that, he's a better rebounder and worlds better defensively. He's certainly the better player at this stage and Leslie's "prospect" label is wearing off. When this season is over, I wouldn't be surprised to see Howell be selected OVER Leslie in the draft.

In last night's action, there was a good chance to see three first round power forwards in Jackie Carmichael, James Michael McAdoo, and Anthony Bennett.

Carmichael was huge in a slight upset at Dayton. He does a great job moving his feet on both sides of the ball and being active. He is a big guy, but moves lightly on his feet and is surprisingly explosive. He draws charges and guards the pick and roll with expertise. Offensively, he does a great job sealing off defenders on his back, has patience in the post, and has great footwork. He has soft touch around the rim and can step out and hit the jumper. With his skillset and BBIQ, Im not sure he is even capable of a bad game. He had 25 points and 14 rebounds last night.

Illinois State actually almost lost the game even though they were up 7 with under two minutes left. In a puzzling move, Illinois State called a timeout while up 4 points with under a minute to play. At the time there was 4 seconds left in the shot clock, but Carmichael had the ball in post and looked capable of getting a good shot. Instead, the timeout was called by the coach and the turned it over try to get the ball inbounds. If you call a timeout in that situation, you better have a great inbound play in mind. That play was a possible 4 point swing and gave Dayton a chance for a game winner in the final seconds. Illinois State got lucky to hold on.

For UNLV and Anthony Bennett, they had a date with Northern Iowa and looked great early. Anthony Bennett dominated on offense early - hitting a couple of threes and looking like a guard in transition. Its amazing how well he plays in transition at his size. He had a play where he grabbed a rebound, brought it up with the defense already set, yet still was able to take it all the way into the lane for a lay-up. He made it look easy.

And while Bennett had some jaw dropping plays, he didn't take advantage of Northern Iowa's size inside. His points came on jumpers and off the dribble. The problem with Bennett is he doesn't handle physical play much. He can out-muscle guys, but when the defense pushes back, he backs down. It happened last game against UTEP and UNI followed the same plan. Bennett was quiet in the second half mainly because he couldn't get good post position.

And defensively, Bennett played terrible post defense and allowed smaller UNI players to rebound over him. His help defense has been a problem this year, but he did have 3 solid blocks in attempt to block the rim.

From the surface, this looked like another Bennett statement game and he really did have some impressive stretches - specifically in the first half. But there are still things that hold him back from being an ideal top 5 selection.

James Michael McAdoo struggled again and the North Carolina Tar Heels ended up losing to Texas. Texas was too physical for UNC and were able to hit shots from outside. Like Jackie Carmichael, McAdoo has good footwork, explodes quickly, and a good feel for the game. Unlike Carmichael, McAdoo plays soft, rushes decisions, and takes low percentage shots. McAdoo was pushed around all game and unable to mix it up inside against the Longhorns bigs. McAdoo has a nice ceiling, but he won't reach it if he doesn't show more toughness and strength. Hes making the game harder on himself.

Games to Watch Tonight

Lehigh at North Texas 8pm

The big game on tonight's schedule is North Texas vs Lehigh which tips at 8pm. By last count I saw, 54 NBA scouts had requested credentials to tonights game - easily the most scouts congregating for a single game (no tournament) this year. All the buzz is about Tony Mitchell and CJ McCollom, two low-major players who have a shot at being selected in this years lottery.

Another reason all the attention will be in Denton tonight is because there aren't many other good games. Duke, Michigan, UCF, Memphis, and Arkansas all play and are worth checking out, but none of the games offer much to see. 

Catching Up With Tony Mitchell

Much has been made of Tony Mitchell's slow start so far this season. Coming off a game where he only got off one shot, many people questioned how that was even possible.

I watched tonight's game, the game after his one shot performance, and he scored 18 points on 7-12 shooting. It was a solid performance for Mitchell as well as his team, who managed to hang in with St. Louis until the buzzer, losing 67-63. Mitchell had 14 first half points then had to sit out much of the second half with foul trouble. Once he was inserted back into the lineup, his teammates didn't even look to get him the ball.

Sort of perplexing. North Texas as a whole is perplexing. Heading into this game, they were shooting 26% from 3-pt range yet fared better against zone defenses.

I had two hypothesis for this - one is simple, the more inferior teams on North Texas ran zone against them in attempt to limit Mitchell. This makes plenty of sense.

The other could have to do with the amount of double teams Mitchell receives. Whenever Mitchell gets the ball in the post, he is automatically doubled - creating open looks for teammates outside the arc. So North Texas may actually get more 3-pt looks against man to man defense.

Fascinating.

More fascinating may be how first year North Texas coach Tony Benford has used Mitchell - or hasn't used him. It is tough being a coach of a lottery big man on a team of below average, shot happy guards. There is a lot of pressure to feature Mitchell, but it is something that also would help the team win.

Another thing Benford has to deal with is his center - Tony Mitchell - preferring to showcase his small forward skills to NBA scouts. Or his lack of them. You know what they say about guys trying to prove they can do something: they usually prove instead that they can't do it.

Mitchell may have another reason however of floating outside. The double teams. Mitchell can't show his post game because he is swarmed after each touch. When Mitchell parks himself in the post, you can tell it is hard for him to stay in the game mentally. Not only because of the double teams, but because of his teammates' idolization of their own offensive games.

And so is it best to park Mitchell down there? Sure he creates open looks, but he doesn't get to shoot himself. And as mentioned before, North Texas can't hit threes.

So that is what brings Mitchell out around the perimeter. Its a big conundrum and it wouldn't be a problem on a more talented team.

Mitchell faces tough defense off the ball all game and doesn't know how to get open off the ball. He gets some 3-pt shots by trailing in transition and popping on pick and rolls. He gets some putback attempts and throws down some alley-oops. And then there are the times he tries to create offense for himself - a very mixed bag.

His offensive game is somewhat like Andre Roberson's. Both are athletic freaks trying to prove themselves on the perimeter, yet have terrible footwork and decision making skills on the perimeter. They both shuffle their feet, rethink every step, and rely on their first step completely. And both of them can actually hit the 3-pt shot, although it can be ugly. The 3-pt shot gives them better driving opportunities due to strong defensive close outs.

Besides Roberson being 4 months older, Mitchell also is the better prospect because of his strength and his mid-range game potential. Mitchell's frame is much better than Roberson's and allows him to finish in contact and also work more inside. Mitchell's mid-range game actually looks good, as he is creative with his dribble and his jumpshot looks much better from 18 feet in. Mitchell has much more of an offensive mindset than Roberson and thus has more potential in the area. He can be dangerous setting up from the mid-range area with both the jumper and the drive. Mitchell can also post up, but his footwork and balance in these situations make for some ugly looking shots at time.

Mitchell's play pick up once conference play starts and his guards get to face competition more of their level. Same deal I said for Robert Covington who has struggled early. Mitchell's stock has taken a slight dip since the season has began, but he is one of the best athletes in this very weak draft. Believe it or not, he still could even have an outside shot at the #1 pick. His potential is that high.

Scouting Report: Tony Mitchell (North Texas)

Height: 6'8.5''
Wingspan: 7'3''
Weight: 236lbs
Bday: 4/7/1992

Team: North Texas
Class of 2015

Apparently all Tony Mitchells are insane athletes

After being ruled academically ineligible at Missouri, Tony Mitchell was forced to sit out a season and a half before making his debut for North Texas on December 18th. Two days before on December 16th was the first time Mitchell was allowed to practice with his teammates. Needless to say, coming off a year and a half stint where the only organized hoops he played was at the U19 National Championships (where he failed to impress), nobody knew exactly what to expect from Mitchell. Scouts flocked to his games to get a look at this top 15 high school recruit and he ended the year joining Anthony Davis as the only freshman in the country to average a double-double.

Mitchell's game revolves around his elite physical abilities, so let's talk about that first. Mitchell has been measured with a 7'3'' wingspan while standing at 6'8.5'' and 236 pounds. He has a really solid build for a power forward and has a frame to put on more weight if he so chooses. Athletically, Mitchell is a rare species. He probably was the most athletic player in college last year, possessing one of the quickest and highest leaps I have seen at the college level.

At this point, his elite leaping ability is a big part of the player he is. Mitchell logged a majority of his minutes playing center last season and he didn't seem to mind. Although Mitchell shows some perimeter skills, he had no problem defending post player, anchoring the defense, rebounding the ball, setting screens, and making plays on offense with his back to the basket.

Yup, looks like a 7'3'' wingspan to me!

Although his post game is limited, he was such a force at North Texas compared to the rest of the players around him that he would constantly see either double teams or zone defenses. When Mitchell got the ball in the post, he did a good job of recognizing the double team and finding an open teammate. He doesn't hold onto the ball for long when it isn't necessary. Mitchell's passing have a lot of mustard behind them, but he can carelessly fling balls at times. Thanks to his big hands, Mitchell has gotten into a habit of extending the ball away from his body in one hand and doesn't always make his passes accurately. Overall though, Mitchell is a willing passer who has good vision. I'm surprised he only averaged 1.6 assists a game since he was doubled every time, but his team finished dead last in 3-pt% so that could explain it. Making that number even worse is the fact that Mitchell lead the conference shooting at a 44% clip. So yes, Mitchell had no shooters around him to space the floor.

Mitchell looking to pass out of the post. Somewhere the double is coming. Note the chiseled physique.

When Mitchell didn't pass the ball, he showed the ability to both shoot and drive. Mitchell has an insanely quick first step, which allowed him to beat double teams before they even came into fruition at times. He doesn't have good dribbling skills, but is able to drive from behind the 3-pt line all the way to the cup at this level of basketball. He flashed a crossover move and the ability to switch hands while maintaining balance, but I didn't see it enough to say he is much more than a straight line driver. Obviously with Mitchell's athletic gifts, he can get away with being a less than perfect ball handler as he only needs a two dribbles to get to the hole and finish in dramatic fashion. Overall he does a great job getting to the hoop and drawing fouls. He shot 74% from the foul line on 5 attempts per game.

Mitchell also liked to freeze up his defender, giving the basket a long stare before pulling up for a jumpshot. Mitchell's release is slow and from the hip, but he gets good arc and rotation on the ball, making him a good 3-pt shooter. He tends to leave a lot of balls short, clanking off the rim, and also shows inconsistent form. He has shown a solid step back jumper and despite his slower release, has no problem getting shots off. Off the dribble is a different story as Mitchell doesn't show much of an ability to create quality mid-range jump shots. His spot up ability from mid-range is good, but if Mitchell wants to step his offensive game up, his mid-range game would be a nice start. For a big man, he has nice touch so he has plenty of potential in this area.

When double teams came on the perimeter, Mitchell had more trouble dealing with these than in the post. Valuing his perimeter touches since they came few and far between, Mitchell was more hesitant to give up the ball. He tried to make plays, but more times than not he would have the ball poked away from him once he tried to put it on the floor. Mitchell's loose dribble and lack off advanced ball handling skills showed here. His coordination on the wing comes into question if Mitchell is thinking about moving to the small forward position.

'Nuff said.

Also, Mitchell has no post moves away from the basket and rarely gets deep position on the block. Most of his post touches come from 15 feet away. He had some games where he was completely shutout and didn't attack the offense boards as much as he could have. While he led all freshman in defensive rebounding, he was tied for 48th amongst his peers when only looking at his stats on the offensive glass. Mitchell can create more easy buckets for himself if he plays with more intensity.

Speaking of intensity, Mitchell could use some more of it defensively as well. But that may be nitpicking as Mitchell does a lot of things well on this end of the court. He was North Texas's anchor at the center position, blocking any shot within reason and controlling the defensive glass. He was not afraid of contact, held his own position, and did a good job denying entry passes. He also was seen being a vocal leader on defense - communicating to the rest of his teammates. He makes blocks and steals that nobody else can make. He has the ability to make the LeBron James trailing blocks and block shots from the second level. His help side defense is wonderful. Also, Mitchell has great potential as a pick and roll defender in terms of forcing turnovers, but was content to just keep his man in front of him last year. More aggressiveness on defense would be a good thing.

Unfortunately, Mitchell didn't show much urgency getting up and down the court after rebounds, negating some of his athleticism. After each rebound, Mitchell seemed to travel at the same speed each time getting up the court on both ends of the ball. He always jogged back at a steady pace, not picking up the pace even if the ball ends up behind him. This needs to change, but it could be due to his conditioning level (but then again, have you seen his body? Mitchell is shredded.). Since he didn't get to practice up until December 16th, this is a logical explanation. Overall, Mitchell seems to care very much about the game and winning so I expect to see him become a more tenacious all around player this upcoming season.

As a rebounder, Mitchell has the potential to be one of the best in the game at the NBA level. He has huge hands, great timing, explosion, and all the athletic gifts you could ask for. He showed the ability to rebound out of his zone - actually he showed that if the ball was anywhere near him, nobody else was going to come close to touching it. Mitchell can easily get his head above the rim! When Mitchell rebounds, he does a good job finding the outlet, but he will start the break himself at times. Mitchell's court vision is shown yet again in these instances, as he looks more like a wing player in these situations than he does in the halfcourt setting.

Still, I think Mitchell projects more as a power forward and the fact that he has relished that role at North Texas is a good sign. Coach Johnny Jones (now at LSU) says that he is the most humble and unselfish superstar he has ever coached and that includes Gerald Wallace, Shaquille O'Neal, and Stanley Roberts. He raves about his character. The fact that he has handled his transfer to North Texas as well as he has is a great testament in itself. With his first full season of basketball coming up in years, it is scary what Tony Mitchell will be able to accomplish. Tony Benford (Buzz Williams' assistant) is the new head basketball coach and considering the work they've done on combo forward (Lazar Hayward, Jae Crowder, Jimmy Butler) it is exciting to see what he can do with such a pure talent. He is one guy that can up Mitchell's energy level, get him moving in transition, and improve his mid-range game. Benford is just what the doctor ordered.

Looking ahead to the draft, the sky is the limit for Mitchell. He should be a top 10 pick and could easily work his way into the top 5. I am a fan of his game and am looking forward to seeing more of him this season.