In trimming 18 pounds from his freshman physique, the newly svelte 195-pound Mitchell has reduced his pizza intake from almost daily to special occasions. He is eating less and more prudently, chewing longer, scaling back on chicken fingers and sweet potatoes and filling up on water.
But despite the willpower he has shown in changing his diet, Mitchell has been unable to completely curtail his gummy bear consumption. It’s one thing to ask a man to sacrifice in the name of better basketball, but quite another to starve him of his favorite junk food.
“I would go from eating three (bags) of those a day at night when I’m watching film to maybe one a week,” Mitchell said. “It’s incredible how disciplined you have to become to start losing that weight.”
He was seated on a folding chair at the KFC Yum! Center, noticeably leaner than he had been last spring, so much that U of L coach Rick Pitino had predicted, “You won’t recognize him.” The difference in Mitchell is so dramatic that he has seen fit to give away some of his old shirts because they are now too big. The difference in his play, teammates say, has been profound.
“Donovan is way quicker, handling the ball and off the ball,” U of L forward Jaylen Johnson said. “He’s more explosive, and Donovan being more explosive is scary. ... And he’s making smarter decisions because he’s not as tired as he used to be.”
To watch Mitchell perform last season was to be struck by his fast-strike capabilities, by soaring dunks and rebounds suggestive of a spring-loaded leaping ability seldom seen in a 6-foot-2 guard.
But despite the willpower he has shown in changing his diet, Mitchell has been unable to completely curtail his gummy bear consumption. It’s one thing to ask a man to sacrifice in the name of better basketball, but quite another to starve him of his favorite junk food.
“I would go from eating three (bags) of those a day at night when I’m watching film to maybe one a week,” Mitchell said. “It’s incredible how disciplined you have to become to start losing that weight.”
He was seated on a folding chair at the KFC Yum! Center, noticeably leaner than he had been last spring, so much that U of L coach Rick Pitino had predicted, “You won’t recognize him.” The difference in Mitchell is so dramatic that he has seen fit to give away some of his old shirts because they are now too big. The difference in his play, teammates say, has been profound.
“Donovan is way quicker, handling the ball and off the ball,” U of L forward Jaylen Johnson said. “He’s more explosive, and Donovan being more explosive is scary. ... And he’s making smarter decisions because he’s not as tired as he used to be.”
To watch Mitchell perform last season was to be struck by his fast-strike capabilities, by soaring dunks and rebounds suggestive of a spring-loaded leaping ability seldom seen in a 6-foot-2 guard.
