Tag: Dillon Mitchell

2023 NBA Mock Draft 1.0: An early look at the top prospects next year

Rookie Wire took a very early look at the next rookie class and some of the top prospects to monitor over the course of the 2022-23 season.

With the basketball world over a month removed from the NBA draft, many have started to look ahead to the next rookie class and which prospects may be available.

The class is headlined by French phenom Victor Wembanyama, who is considered one of the top prospects in recent memory. He has performed well in the top basketball league in France and looks to already be locked in as the top pick in 2023.

Elsewhere, there are several other prospects that will be worth monitoring over the course of next season. The rankings will certainly change but it can be a productive exercise to see how prospects moved up and down draft boards ahead of next year.

Rookie Wire took a very early look at the next rookie class and some of the top prospects to monitor as the 2022-23 season approaches in a couple of months.

Note: The order of the draft was determined by the reverse championship odds set by Tipico Sportsbook. The 2023 draft will only have 59 picks after the Bulls were stripped of their second-round pick by the NBA due to a tampering violation involving the signing of Lonzo Ball.

Predicting Texas’ starting five after the Tyrese Hunter commitment

Texas’ starting five will be very interesting next season.

After several years of disappointing March Madness appearances under Shaka Smart, the Longhorns exercised their demons and advanced to the second round under Chris Beard.

The former Texas Tech coach is looking to build on his success that he had in his first season as the Texas head coach, and he seems to be acquiring even more talent than he was last year. Prior to this past season, Beard was able to build up Texas’ roster by bringing in elite transfers such as Timmy Allen and Marcus Carr.

This offseason, Beard not only brought in one of the top transfers in Tyrese Hunter, who won Big 12 Freshman of the Year, but was also able to bring in a strong recruiting class. The class is headlined by five-stars Arterio Morris and Dillon Mitchell who are both expected to provide majors boosts to the roster.

However, even with all this new accumulated talent and returning talent, the Longhorns are still poised to be a shooting deficient team that lacks a big man. The lack of big man remains true even if Dylan Disu chooses to return, as he is going through the NBA draft process. They will have talented individuals, but whether or not all of these players can mesh is yet to be seen. Beard might have to go against his instinct and have a much quicker offense in order to make up for the lack of shooting and size.

Here is what I think the starting five will look like, using just the players currently on the roster.

Texas signee Dillon Mitchell wins Jordan Brand Classic MVP

The Longhorns signee showed out when playing among the nation’s top players.

The reasons for excitement surrounding Texas basketball signee Dillon Mitchell continue to grow.

After a strong showing in the McDonald’s All-American game, the athletic five-star forward out of basketball powerhouse Montverde Academy put on a show during Friday’s Jordan Brand Classic.

Mitchell helped lead Team Air to a 118-109 victory over Team Flight, contributing 18 points. By being invited to participate in the the illustrious Jordan Brand Classic, Mitchell became the 16th Longhorn to participate, and the first since 2017 when Mo Bamba and Matt Coleman partook in the festivities.

Mitchell’s strong performance in helping Team Air to their victory also helped him earn the team’s MVP honors.

Mitchell’s pro player comparison by 247Sports’ director of scouting Jerry Meyer is current Charlotte Hornet, Kelly Oubre. Here is what Texas is getting in Mitchell.

At 6-7 has a long and thin build. Does need to build strength but has electric athleticism. Bouncy and runs like a gazelle. One of the top athletes in the 2022 class. A lefty with a sidewinder shot. His long distance shot is his main weakness, but it is improving and solid in the midrange. Excels at attacking the rim and finishing with authority. Is a high level rebounder who can initiate the break. Handles the ball well and sees the court and has a feel for passing. Can also run the lanes at an elite level. Defense is perhaps his best attribute. Can be a shut down defender. Versatile as well. Tough to find a player he can’t guard.

Mitchell is the No. 14 ranked player in 247Sports’ composite rankings, and headlines Texas’ No. 11 ranked 2022 class in which he is joined by fellow five-star Arterio Morris, and four-star Rowan Brumbaugh.

WATCH: Texas basketball signees shine during McDonald’s All-American Game

Two future Longhorns had some highlight reel plays.

Two future Longhorn hoopers had the opportunity to play in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game.

Five-star forward Dillon Mitchell and five-star point guard Arterio Morris both suited up for the East team on Tuesday night, and the duo helped lead their team to a blowout victory of the West team. Their appearance in the game marks the No. 21 and No. 22 players in Texas history to participate.

The East easily overwhelmed the West en route to their 24-point victory, and both Mitchell and Morris had moments where they were standing out amongst the nation’s best high school players.

Mitchell, who ranks as the No. 14 overall recruit in the country, finished the game with nine points, four rebounds, and two assists. He also had some extremely acrobatic finishes and dunks.

Morris, the No. 19 overall recruit who was originally slated to play for the West team but was switched to the east squad after some players were unable to play, finished with 12 points, three assists, and one steal. He and Mitchell both showed flashes that should have Longhorns fans excited.

Morris and Mitchell are accompanied by four-star guard Rowan Brumbaugh in Texas’ 2022 recruiting class and will look to help continue the momentum Texas built under Chris Beard in year one.

WATCH: Texas commit Dillon Mitchell throws down monster putback dunk

The future Longhorn threw up a crazy dunk against IMG!

While Texas’ basketball team is still trying to figure out their identity, the future of the program is making waves on the high school basketball scene.

Five-star commit Dillon Mitchell, who plays at basketball powerhouse Montverde Academy, made a highlight reel play during Montverde’s recent game.

Mitchell led Montverde against IMG, and had what many are considering the play of the game when he grabbed the rebound off his own miss and slammed it in for the putback dunk.

Mitchell is a very versatile player that currently ranks as the No. 27 overall player in the 2022 class according to 247Sports composite rankings. Here is 247Sports’ director of basketball scouting Jerry Meyer’s evaluation of the future Longhorn:

At 6-7 has a long and thin build. Does need to build strength but has electric athleticism. Bouncy and runs like a gazelle. One of the top athletes in the 2022 class. A lefty with a sidewinder shot. His long distance shot is his main weakness, but it is improving and solid in the midrange. Excels at attacking the rim and finishing with authority. Is a high level rebounder who can initiate the break. Handles the ball well and sees the court and has a feel for passing. Can also run the lanes at an elite level. Defense is perhaps his best attribute. Can be a shut down defender. Versatile as well. Tough to find a player he can’t guard.

Mitchell is joined by fellow five-star Arterio Morris and four-star Rowan Brumbaugh as Longhorns pledges. The three of them currently have Texas’ 2022 class ranked No. 13 class in the nation.

Chris Beard and Longhorns fans continue to have reasons to be excited for the future with players with Mitchell’s skillset only helping the future of the program.

Five-star small forward Dillon Mitchell officially signs with Texas

Another great day for Chris Beard. Texas officially signed five-star small forward Dillon Mitchell on Wednesday.

Dillon Mitchell joined fellow five-star guard Arterio Morris in signing with the Longhorns on Wednesday.

The small forward from Florida was a massive get for Chris Beard and his staff. Mitchell is the No. 27 overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, according to 247Sports composite rankings.

The 6-foot-8 Montverde Academy product is a perfect fit to play under Beard’s scheme. He attacks the basket exceptionally well and is athletic enough to guard any position on the court.

Mitchell was such a big get for this recruiting class that Texas assistant coach Ulric Maligi jumped out of a plane. Literally.

The signing of Morris and Mitchell marks the first time Texas has signed multiple five-stars in one class since 2016. The class currently ranks No. 25 in the nation with more players expected to be added.

The momentum Beard has built for Texas basketball is real. A win on the road against No. 1 Gonzaga Saturday might take that momentum through the roof.

Here is the official announcement of Mitchell’s signing from Texas:

Five-star SF Dillon Mitchell commits to Texas over Florida State and Tennessee

Another five-star in the 2022 class for Chris Beard!

College basketball is just around the corner and Chris Beard has the Texas program moving in the right direction. On the court, they were ranked No. 5 in the AP poll and picked second in the preseason Big 12 poll.

Off the court, recruiting has never been better. Beard is in the hunt for some of the top prospects in the country, attracting them to Austin.

On Monday evening, another top 30 prospect announced he would become a future Longhorn.

Five-star small forward Dillon Mitchell announced his commitment to Texas via Twitter. He picked the Longhorns over home-state Florida State and old Texas head coach Rick Barnes’ Tennessee.

Other offers included Auburn, Florida, Illinois, and Virginia Tech.

Mitchell is the second commitment in Texas’ 2022 class. Five-star point guard Arterio Morris out of Kimball High School in Dallas has been locked in since July 17.

It will be the first time since the 2016 recruiting class Texas has signed two five-star prospects (Jarrett Allen and Andrew Jones) on the 247Sports composite.

Kelly Oubre is the player comparison for Mitchell from 247Sports’ Jerry Meyer. His athleticism is seen as the biggest upside, being an electric player up and down the court. Texas will have to mold him into a better offensive player but Mitchell’s defense seems to already be up to par, if not better.

Texas got Mitchell’s final official visit, hosting him on Oct. 17. Florida State and Tennessee got their shots back in the summer, as did eventually cut Ohio State.

On the 247Sports composite, Mitchell is the No. 28 overall player and No. 9 within the state of Florida. At the small forward position, he ranks as the No. 8 prospect.

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Texas receives crystal ball prediction for elite five-star forward Dillon Mitchell

Chris Beard and the Texas Longhorns are in the mix for another top level talent in Dillon Mitchell.

Chris Beard is still at the beginning stages of his tenure as Texas men’s basketball head coach, and even without a single game played, he’s managing to attract top talent to the Forty Acres.

After many thought that five-star forward Dillon Mitchell out of powerhouse Montverde Academy was bound to commit to Florida State, Beard and his staff convinced the top-30 prospect to take a visit to Texas.

The official visit on Oct. 15 visit seemingly went well for the Longhorns, as Mitchell has now had two 247sports crystal ball predictions inserted in favor of Texas.

Mitchell offers good size at 6-foot-7, and also has the ability to score from inside or outside while also looking like a solid defender at the high school level.

Gaining a commitment from Mitchell would be huge for Texas who currently has another five-star in Arterio Morris as their lone commit in the 2022 recruiting class.

Based off the team that the Longhorns have assembled for this season with transfers such as Marcus Carr and Tre Mitchell, it is safe to say that Beard will be attracting high level talent that he did not get at Texas Tech, nor did Shaka Smart consistently land throughout his tenure at Texas.

Vikings sign WR Dillon Mitchell to futures contract

Mitchell was originally a seventh-round pick by the Vikings last season.

The Vikings announced that they have signed wide receiver Dillon Mitchell to a futures contract.

Mitchell was originally a seventh-round pick by the Vikings in 2019 out of Oregon. He didn’t make the final roster cut. Instead, it was seventh-round pick Bisi Johnson who emerged as the better receiver.

Mitchell finished the 2019 season on the team’s practice squad.

Mitchell becomes the eighth player who the Vikings signed to a futures contract.

Others include RB Tony Brooks-James, QB Jake Browning, WR Davion Davis, TE Brandon Dillon, CB Mark Fields, CB Kemon Hall and CB Marcus Sayles.