One of the biggest wins in recruiting for Texas in the 2022 class was landing five-star forward Dillon Mitchell.
The Montverde product ranked as the No. 5 player in the country and headlined Texas’ recruiting class that ranked as the No. 3 class in the nation.
Mitchell didn’t quite live up to expectations in year one. To no fault of his own, the freshman didn’t have a large role in the offense due to the fact that the Longhorns heavily relied on veterans Marcus Carr, Timmy Allen, and Sir’Jabari Rice on the offensive end of the ball.
All three of them have declared for the NBA Draft following the conclusions of their college careers, and while Mitchell was once regarded as a top-5 talent in this most recent draft, he opted to return to Austin for another year. A decision that could really pay off for him, as while he did start all 38 games he only played 17.5 minutes per game and wasn’t able to show much on offense. He averaged just four points and four rebounds a game, and showed no ability to shoot, attempting not a single three on the year.
During the pre-draft process he showed what appeared to be a more confident jumper, which is something that should help him in 2023. While he likely won’t be considered a top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, USA TODAY Sports’ Jeff Zillgitt does think he has first round potential.
Zillgitt released his early mock draft for 2024 and Mitchell was the lone Longhorn featured. Zillgitt projected that he would go at the back end of the first round at pick No. 25.
This would likely be a playoff team who is looking to add a wing that can defend and possibly shoot the three, which Mitchell will need to show he can do in 2023. It will be interesting to see his role on a team that is transfer heavy once again.