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.

Scouting Report: CJ Leslie

Height: 6'8.5''
Wingspan: 7'1.5''
Weight: 198lbs
Bday: 6/25/91

Team: North Carolina State
Class of 2014

Leslie had a rough freshman year and it showed in his body language

It seems like we have been waiting forever for CJ Leslie to turn into the dominating force he has the potential to be, but in reality, he is just coming off of his sophomore season. And if you look at the numbers during the final stretch, Leslie might have quietly already become the polarizing star we hoped for.

For Leslie, it has been a roller coaster ride. Tim Crothers did an excellent job providing a window into the mind and heart of Leslie a few days ago for SI while explaining the ups and downs of his stay in Raleigh. No need to rehash that article, but while the overall conclusion was that CJ (or Calvin) has matured a great deal since his freshman year, there still are some worrisome concerns about his character.

First off, Leslie isn't even a year removed from his "old self". The player who would sulk during practices, play selfish basketball, give up and down effort, and distance himself from those around him. The guy who didn't show up to his very first class of college. The CJ who Mark Gottfried aimed to change. He sought out to improve his body language, engage him in the game, and hold him accountable for his level of play.

Leslie was a different player at the second half of last year, helping lead the Pack to the NCAA tournament

Gottfried has been able to turn Leslie around, but it hasn't been an overnight process. You can tell Leslie is a lot more comfortable now at NC State, which is the reason he cites in coming back for his junior year. He likes where he is at now. He calls North Carolina State his "comfort zone". But what happens when he has to go to the next level? If he gets a coach he doesn't like? If things aren't going good for him? It is hard to say that he wouldn't revert back to the old CJ Leslie. In the NBA, he is going to be expected to practice hard, play games with energy, and be consistent for 82 games. Nobody will be holding his hand. Its a concern that NBA personnel will have to pry at during the interview process and this upcoming season.

At the end of last season though, everything was going good for NC State and himself. This year you can expect the same with a team that is one of the favorites to win the ACC. This year won't answer some of the questions about his ability to handle adversity and play hard at all times.

The way he performed at the end of last year though, averaging 18.3 points and 9 rebounds per game, showed what his potential is all about. CJ Leslie may be the best athlete in college basketball. He's a ridiculous leaper, very long and rangy, and has great coordination for a man his size.

His game thrives in transition. He runs the court very well for easy baskets and can also handle it coast to coast himself. He patterns his game after Kevin Garnett and offensively, there are a lot of similarities.

His form certainly needs some refining, but notice the KG-esque lean

He also operates in the halfcourt like his idol. He likes to get the ball around the foul line extended area and face up like a guard. He can go in isolation mode from this area, using risky crossovers in crowded areas to create room, in effort to get to the hoop or shoot a jumper. In this respect, CJ Leslie makes things too difficult for himself as the added flare is not necessary. Leslie is such a special athlete that his first step and explosiveness is enough to get by college power forwards. There is no need to overdribble. He also makes his shots more difficult. He has plenty of size and lift on his jumper that he can get if off over anyone, yet he chooses to crossover defenders and shoot off balance fadeaways way too much. He takes too many long 2-pters in general, but getting rid of the habit to fadeaway like KG does, should make him more efficient.

Efficiency is one area that Leslie can struggle from. He doesn't have the best shot selection or a power post game inside. His only post moves rely on his quickness. He shot 43% from the field his freshman year but did a great job getting above 50% last season (one thing he did was cut out nearly 2/3rds of his 3-pt attempts from the year before). And in his last 11 games, he was even better. Still,  when projecting him to the NBA, he needs a more defined offensive skillset. He can't rely on long jumpers and pure athleticism around the rim completely. It has been shown time and time again to be a death sentence for athletic power forwards. Also, his turnovers have not improved at all. Leslie tries to make too many plays and can be wild with his dribble. Finding a in-between game would be a great help. Right now he has the long jumper and the drive to the hoop. A little one handed floater or hook shot would make him very tough to defend.

Leslie getting low and exercising his tremendous first step

For a big man, Leslie is very slithery. He can turn corners and drive by defenders while slipping through small cracks in the defense. He does a good job of using his body and absorbing contact as well. He shows excellent body control at the rim, much more control than he shows on drives, and gets a lot of "and-1" opportunities. His athleticism is obvious a big key in his ability to finish, but he doesn't strictly rely on that.

His footwork leaves a lot to be desired and he travels way too much, but he does have one reliable basic move in the post. He likes to get deep position and quickly turn the corner over his left shoulder and finish with a reverse lay-up. Its simple, yet very effective. Farther away from the hoop near the baseline Leslie can start facing up and then use a pump fake or spin move to get close to the hoop with his back towards the basket. From there, he is pretty much money.

In his sophomore season, Gottfried gave Leslie a lot more freedom than he had in Lowe's offense. Leslie wasn't just a transition and putback guy anymore, he was able to create his own offense and he responded positively. Gottfried and Leslie are developing a good relationship. You could see Leslie get more and more confident in his skills as the season went on, ultimately having the mindset that nobody could stop him. And for the most part, that was true. In those last 11 games, he scored 14 or more points 10 times.

His offensive game needs a lot of refining, toning down, reshaping, and improvement but he has the tools to work with. He can develop a more consistent jumper. He can add some counter moves and more strength to his post game. He can pick his spots better. He can do all of this stuff, but its going to take a lot of work and a good coach. Leslie will never be the smartest player on offense, but he can eventually be good scorer and show decent efficiency.

Defensively, he needs similar work. He puts himself in bad position to defend the post by gambling for steals on entry passes. He trusts his ability to get a steal more than his ability to get a stop defending man to man in the post. He also stands too upright, shows wavering effort, and poor fundamentals. With more consistent effort, Leslie can be a solid defender. He definitely can make big time plays out that end - thanks to block shots, steals, and the ability to come up with the ball and start the break himself. He's a playmaker on the defense end more than he is a reliable man to man defender.

Overall, Leslie possessing insane physical gifts that give him the ability to dominate college competition even without a polished game. He has great lateral quickness, is a quick and explosive leaper, and runs the court as well as anyone. He is a good straight line driver even though his handles are shaky when trying to do anything more than that, which prohibits him from starting his drives out by the 3-pt line. His shot is still a work in progress, but his tendency to take terrible jumpers his freshman year was toned down to the point where he became more consistent and focused more on his post game.

Moving forward, you can expect Leslie to continue to "wow" you while leaving you wanting more. His character, playing style, effort level, and work ethic will all be obstacles in that could prevent him from going in the lottery. This season Leslie's goals should be to play with 100% effort on defense, cut down his turnovers, and expand his post game. That will be his best shot in getting him to the lottery.