Mizzou Hoops Player Review: Mark Mitchell

I shudder to deliberation of really this play would person gone without Mark Mitchell. Far and distant nan astir valuable subordinate for nan Tigers this season, Mitchell lived up to his preseason billing and went moreover further.

Here are wherever Mitchell classed successful each statistical class for nan squad this season:

A twelvemonth agone Mark Mitchell was nan champion subordinate connected 1 of nan champion teams successful caller Mizzou memory. The support strategy astir him was bully pinch Tamar Bates, Caleb Grill, Tony Perkins, and others, but Mitchell was nan starring scorer. He besides became nan focal constituent of nan discourtesy arsenic nan play wore on.

So coming into this season, pinch respective cardinal players returning, Mitchell was definite to return connected nan mantle of nan champion subordinate connected a Tournament bound squad again.

But galore of nan surrounding talent grounded him, and much unit was heaped onto Mitchell’s shoulders. He played much minutes, saw his usage spell up, and someway improved his efficiency. In convention play nan reliance connected Mitchell arsenic an violative driver increased, arsenic he played nan 3rd astir minutes successful nan conference.

His 18.3 points per crippled were nan highest scoring mean for a Tigers since Jabari Brown’s inferior season. You’d besides person to spell backmost to Brown to find a subordinate arsenic heavy relied upon for offense, who was still tin of being efficient. Brown’s violative standing his past play was 119.4, and Mitchell was moreover amended (121.3). Mitchell’s squad besides made nan NCAA Tournament, while Brown’s landed successful nan NIT.

So overmuch of what Mitchell produced has been unrivaled for a Mizzou hoops player, and truthful overmuch of what he was tin of was overlooked also. His shot handling was vital, arsenic he had conscionable a 13.6% turnover rate, and it complemented his playmaking skills, wherever he besides had nan 2nd highest assistance complaint connected nan squad (21.1%). His assistance complaint mightiness person been moreover higher had Mizzou knocked down jumpers pinch much consistency.

If you deliberation astir nan biggest plays successful nan season, chances are Mitchell was straight involved. Trent Pierce large 3 pointer to put Mizzou up 4 pinch 2 minutes to play against Florida? Off a Mark Mitchell thrust and footwear out. The comeback triumph astatine Kentucky was started connected an assistance from Mark to Pierce also, and made existent connected a Mitchell short rotation footwear retired to Jayden Stone. Mitchell provided an assistance to necktie nan crippled precocious against Oklahoma, and nan 3 pointer to hit them successful Overtime.

Mitchell besides provided nan assistance connected nan crippled winning handbasket astatine A&M, lofting a perfectly placed lob for Shawn Philips to slam down.

The play was disappointing successful a batch of ways, but nary of that had thing to do pinch Mark Mitchell. He was awesome from nan commencement to nan finish. While Mizzou’s discourtesy was struggling to find points successful nan NCAA Tournament against Miami’s packed successful defense, Mitchell deed 3 2nd half 3 pointers to springiness them immoderate hope.

There’s a batch astir nan Tigers past twelvemonth I won’t miss, but I will 100% miss watching Mark Mitchell play basketball.