Listened to Bob Valvano show today and in different discussions he said he felt like Mitchell will return next year. A lot can change over the next few weeks (and I hope that involves Mitchell leading us to a title) but I got to think Valvano would have decent insight into this situation.
Donovan Mitchell Next Year
- Thread starter Knucklehank1
- Start date
Mitchell is in the mid 20's. I've stated this before, I would only be worried if he is projected as a lottery pick. Unlike guys who left early lately(Rozier, Nanu, Trez), Donovan likes school and the family is fairly well off. Look at the average home price for property in Greenwich, CT.
Donovan loves the school, loves playing for Coach and wants to keep getting better.
Would you rather be treated like a King at Louisville next year and work your way into the top 10 for the draft? Or possibly bounce back and forth between the NBDL or ride the pine in the league? Donovan wants to play and have an impact immediately in the league. He worked really hard on his shot this past summer. He needs a summer of ball handling skills and he's a possible Mini Westbrook in the league next year.
Donovan loves the school, loves playing for Coach and wants to keep getting better.
Would you rather be treated like a King at Louisville next year and work your way into the top 10 for the draft? Or possibly bounce back and forth between the NBDL or ride the pine in the league? Donovan wants to play and have an impact immediately in the league. He worked really hard on his shot this past summer. He needs a summer of ball handling skills and he's a possible Mini Westbrook in the league next year.
I hope the kid goes, because I'll be the first to say (opponent wise anyways) with the right pieces around this kid, you all have a chance to be nasty next year if he continues to grow and improve. God that sentence was hard to type, but I've watched the kid a couple times this year, games apart, and he has improved to me every game. The kid has the skill set, not sold on him being a huge star in the league, but as a college player, DAMN GOOD. Has anyone got him in talks for POY awards or AA?
If Mitchell comes back next year, we will be pre-season # 1 and the favorites to win it all. But, I say we just go ahead and win it all this year. This years tournament seems like the 2014 tournament where no one team is favored to win it all but one team had a player go off in Shabazz Napier and carried them to the title. Hopefully Mitchell can go off for us the same way Napier did for UConn and carry us to the title. We all know he is capable of doing it.
I'd be happy with a 2014 rematch haha, with a different outcome of course. Mitchell is good but I think preseason #1 and favorite for the title might be pushing it depending on who else returns for other teams. With that said, I hope he goes pro the kid has a chance to be nasty is he sticks around. Like I said though, the small sample size of games I've watched, he will be a CBB great if he sticks around, but I don't see him sticking out in the league. But again that's a small sample size.
For selfish reasons, I sure hope you are 1000% right with insider information. With the class we have coming in, and with Mitchell coming back, and Snider as a Senior, we would be one of the favorites to win the National Championship without a doubt.
I think it has to do with a combination of things. Him coming back next year means he will more than likely earn his degree in three years time(private school kid, family clearly values education as a poster mentioned above). He is a "tweener" guard who, while he poses dynamic athleticism, doesn't necessarily have a true position. He's listed at 6'3(generously) and is realistically about 6'1(maybe?)(Several kids I have coached have taken unofficial visits to Louisville and they're both high school sophomores who tower over Don). That basically limits him to two spots on the floor, the "one" or the "two." His shooting, although much improved and much more consistent than last year, has been slightly sporadic and he has sometimes settled for his jump shot in games this year. I think he and his family realize that, while he may have more potential than any guard in the country, with another year of honing his skills he could easily be a lottery pick after his junior season. IMO he will put his name in the early draft process, get the appropriate feedback, pull his name out of the draft, and help us make the Final Four in 2018.
He's had a couple of games where he's gone missing. WF most recently. I don't think he's NBA quality yet. I agree with one of the posters above that he'd bounce around the development league at this point, ala, Russ Smith. He's 6'3" and although he can sky. Being able to do that at the college level is one thing. Doing it in the NBA is another.
He needs to improve his ball handling and get stronger.
Of course what I believe, makes no difference. What NBA scouts and Donovan Mitchell believe makes all the difference. I hope he comes back for one more year and I believe he will be encouraged to do so.
He needs to improve his ball handling and get stronger.
Of course what I believe, makes no difference. What NBA scouts and Donovan Mitchell believe makes all the difference. I hope he comes back for one more year and I believe he will be encouraged to do so.
I've seen Donovan around campus. He's a legit 6'3" or very close. 6'2" at the shortest.
Caught an interview on cn2 last nite with Donovan Mitchell, Sr. The interviewer asked Donovan Sr. about his son's pro basketball prospects which he sorta blew off. He remarked at the very end of the TV edit about the ACC tourney being staged in Brooklyn this year and next. Nothing looked contrived or fake in his response.
(I watched the TV interview instead of the link below. On TV, it was at the very end of a continuous segment that ran several minutes. Not sure it's in exactly the same place in the linked video.)
LINK
(I watched the TV interview instead of the link below. On TV, it was at the very end of a continuous segment that ran several minutes. Not sure it's in exactly the same place in the linked video.)
LINK
Last edited:
Could be sincere. However, dads of amateur players have to thread very carefully in regards to posturing or marketing their sons for professional sports.
You're right, and he could carry us to two straight titles. In a one and go home scenario between two fairly-matched teams, I like the team with the best player on the court. That's going to be Donovan against most teams. It's not an unrealistic statement to see us in the title game this year and next with him.
What I got out of watching the long version interview is Donovan Sr isn't pushing his kid towards any type of decision regarding the NBA.
He left the recruiting decision up to his kid, and since he handled that with maturity along with the proper research, he expects his kid to make the right decision moving forward.
It kind of helps knowing Donovan doesn't have any need for money. His Dad is a former major league baseball player and currently works for the Mets.
Pitino stated after the game that he has the entire team back next year. He doesn't go in record saying that without knowing where Donovan's mind is.
There's a video where Mitchell just said that he cant wait to win a national championship next year
