Tre Mitchell is Headed to Kentucky

Background

Tre Mitchell is from Pittsburgh, PA, and had an eventful college career. The forward began his basketball journey at Umass, where he was dominant in his first two seasons. Mitchell was A-1o Rookie of the Year at Umass and averaged 18 points and 7.2 rebounds in his two seasons with the Minuteman.

Mitchell decided to transfer to Texas for his Junior season but reversed course and transferred to West Virginia this past season. Unlike at Texas, Mitchell performed well and helped get West Virginia to the NCAA Tournament. Now, Mitchell is on his third team in three seasons. Mitchell will be playing for Kentucky this season. The decision came after the Bob Huggins incident that left West Virginia in shambles.

Mitchell’s Fit with Kentucky

Mitchell’s Offensive Versatility

Tre is a versatile offensive player. He possesses solid skills for a modern-day big that can help Kentucky. He takes advantage of mismatches on the block through a solid post-up game, but his versatility stems from his shooting. Tre shot 36.4% from three this season in Morgantown, so pick-and-pop offensive sets work with him. Additionally, his shooting allows him to attack closeouts and finish at the rim. Additionally, he scores from the high post, either from drives to the basket or midrange jumpers.

During this season, he also shot 63% around the rim and had a 12% assist rate. Therefore, Mitchell makes smart decisions and is capable as a good passer too. Mitchell has a lot of offensive tools to bring to the Wildcats and can play multiple positions for Kentucky this season.

Experience

Mitchell has four years of college, so he has plenty of experience. Kentucky has an outstanding recruiting class coming in, but they lack veteran experience on their roster. Mitchell adds that element as he played for four teams in four years but played in the Big 12 the last two seasons. Therefore, Mitchell’s experience proves valuable for a very young Wildcats team.

How Mitchell Helps Kentucky?

Mitchell maximizes Kentucky’s chances at a deep tournament run if he plays to his strengths: shooting and versatility. However, he must reduce his turnovers. He had 2.1 turnovers this season, a 17% turnover rate. Tre must be smart. If he does that, Kentucky could be an excellent team this season. It will be exciting to see what Mitchell does at Kentucky this season.