Search the Community

Tony Mitchell is a physical specimen, a man whose appearance inspires awe. He's built like a boulder, even on top of his nearly 7-foot-3 wingspan. He's one of the most athletic players with his size, too. He registered a 38-inch max vertical at the Combine and tested well in the speed drills also. Plus he did at the North Texas dunk contest. Looking for an athletic, long wing with mixed results in college but an impeccable physical profile and evidence of skill? Look at North Texas, says Jonathan Tjarks. Mitchell thrives on the glass, where he grabbed 29.1 percent of defensive rebounds in his freshman season, though that number dropped to 20.6 percent in his sophomore season. Most of his points come off of opportunities at the rim that he creates with his great combination of size and athleticism. Defensively, he loves looking for shots to block and has all the potential in the world to become a defensive player in the NBA. But the fundamentals aren't there yet. And neither is the consistent effort needed to be a defensive player in the NBA. I got a chance to watch him live a couple of times in his collegiate career and it was always disappointing to see how he could have dominated the Sun Belt but didn't. He was obviously the most talented, most physically dominant player in the conference but never asserted himself with the type of effort that one would like to see. It is concerning for scouts how badly Mitchell's numbers dropped off in his sophomore season. He dropped in points, rebounds, blocks, and assists while becoming drastically less efficient. The Mean Green as a whole disappointed this past season by finishing 12-20 overall after making the conference championship in the previous year. The program went through a coaching change and that could be one of the reasons for Mitchell's head-scratching decline in his sophomore season. After his freshman year, he was touted as a lottery pick with top-10 potential and that potential is still there. But with how bad his sophomore season ended, he could theoretically drop to the Magic at No. 51, though that'd probably be a far decline. Mitchell needs coaching. He needs motivation. If a coach could tap into that potential, he could be one of the gems in the draft. Read more: http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2013/5/28/4368256/prospect-profiles-tony-mitchell-andre-roberson-and-other-big-men