The last significant domino fell in the transfer portal Tuesday night. UMASS transfer Tre Mitchell tweeted his decision to join Texas in a move that could shake up the Big 12 standings.
The move adds to a massive off-season for Chris Beard. In addition to Mitchell, the Longhorns have received pledges from four other high profile transfers. Mitchell, Christian Bishop, Dylan Disu and Timmy Allen will form an elite front court. Devin Askew has also been brought in to help out a back court that is deep and experienced.
The Player:
Tre Mitchell has been a superstar over two seasons in the Atlantic 10. He put up 17.7 points and 7 rebounds in a breakout freshman season. The forward followed that up with a 19 point and 8 rebound average in 2021. He did this while improving his shooting splits across the board.
Mitchell is a big that is perfectly suited for modern day basketball. His array of post moves makes him a threat inside the paint while a smooth jump shot brings big men away from the basket. His percentage jumped to 37.5% from beyond the arc in 2021 on 3.1 attempts proving that his numbers are not a fluke. Defensively, Mitchell proved to be a menace as well. His sophomore season with the Minutemen saw him get 1.2 swipes a game and block 1.5 shots. This all adds up to a player that should slide right into the Longhorn front court and produce.
How he fits with the Longhorns
How Mitchell fits will be interesting to watch unfold in the early part of the season. Chris Beard has a plethora of talented big men that he can turn to. A lot have a similar skill set as well with Dylan Disu from Vanderbilt having the most in common.
What is not in question is how much Mitchell will help on the offensive end. 2021 saw Texas have an offense that was good on paper, but often disappeared in big moments. The home game against Texas Tech and NCAA Tournament performance against Abilene Christian stand out the most. The transfer will provide the Longhorns with a go to scorer inside and out. Mitchell will provide a match up problem for both smaller mid-majors and Power 5 schools with big lineups.