The Cincinnati Bearcats made a splash in the NCAA transfer portal on Friday, with the commitment of former Texas Longhorns forward Dillon Mitchell.
After departing Texas a month ago, the 6’8 205-pounder still has two seasons of eligibility after contemplating Miami and Memphis, among others. Mitchell has already filed for the 2024 NBA Draft when he announced his departure from the Forty Acres.
Mitchell arrived at Texas with high expectations; not only was he ranked as the No. 8 prospect nationally and the No. 2 small forward by the 247Sports Composite rankings, but the Montverde Academy product was also regarded as a potential lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft due to his elite athleticism.
As a freshman, Mitchell struggled as a shooter, causing opponents to ignore him defensively unless he was in the paint and in a scoring position. Mitchell averaged 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game, going 7-of-32 (21.9 percent) on far twos and declining to take a three-point shot. Mitchell’s weak shooting ability caused him to make only 40.5 percent of his free-throw tries.
BREAKING: Texas transfer forward Dillon Mitchell, a former 5⭐️ recruit, has committed to Cincinnati, he tells @On3sports.
The 6-8 sophomore also considered Miami, Auburn, among others. Averaged 9.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game this season. https://t.co/uYBUYfq6AZ pic.twitter.com/yW1ijMOvzK
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) May 17, 2024
Mitchell appeared to boost his draft stock at last year’s combine with better shooting performances in drills, but he later withdrew from the draft when the improvement did not carry to scrimmages.
During Mitchell’s sophomore season, a better handle 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. He also improved his mid-range shooting, hitting 27.6 percent on far twos while continuing to excel finishing around the rim with 55 dunks and an 80.9 percent shooting rate on close twos. Mitchell improved his free-throw percentage to 59.8 percent, but he missed all eight three-point attempts.
Mitchell played 29.0 minutes per game in 2023-24, averaging 9.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks, but his field-goal percentage fell somewhat to 58.5 percent.
In the portal, Texas continues to pursue New Mexico transfer forward JT Toppin, who appears to be on his way to the NBA following a solid showing at the combine.
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