Men's Hoops Inks Auburn Transfer Mitchell
4/20/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
WACO, Texas -- Baylor men's basketball has added Auburn transfer Davion Mitchell to its 2018 signing class, head coach Scott Drew announced Friday.
Mitchell will join the Bears this summer and have three years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2018-19 season to satisfy NCAA transfer requirements.
"We've liked Davion ever since we saw him in high school, because he's similar to a lot of the guards we've had who have been so successful," Drew said. "He's a big, strong, physical guard, and he has a burst that can't be taught. His quickness is elite, and he's a tremendous passer who does a great job finding open teammates and finishing at the rim."
Mitchell came off the bench in all 34 games as a true freshman for Auburn in 2017-18. He helped the Tigers to a 26-8 record and a share of the SEC championship, averaging 3.7 points and 2.1 assists in 17.1 minutes per game. He ranked second on the team with an 18.4 assist rate and second in 2-point field goal percentage at .566.
Mitchell was a consensus four-star prospect in the 2017 signing class. He was ranked as high as No. 33 nationally by 247Sports, 45th by Scout, 55th by Rivals and 61st by ESPN. He led Liberty County High School in Hinesville, Ga., to its first Georgia Class 4A state championship as a junior in 2015-16, when he averaged 24.2 points, 7.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game on his way to earning Savannah Morning news Boys Basketball Player of the Year and MaxPreps Junior All-America third-team recognition.
As a high school senior, Mitchell averaged 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game, leading Liberty County to a 22-6 record. He scored a season-high 42 points, including 10-of-20 from 3-point range, in a win over Bradwell Institute.
Mitchell gives the Bears six players in their 2018-19 signing class. BU also welcomes freshmen forwards Matthew Mayer (Austin, Texas/Westlake HS), Ibby Ali (Little Rock, Ark./Maumelle HS) and Flo Thamba (Grundy, Va./Mountain Mission School), junior college transfer guard Darius Allen (Melbourne, Fla./Palm Beach State) and graduate transfer guard Makai Mason (Greenfield, Mass./Yale).
The Bears return four letterwinners from a 19-win team, and they add another former SEC transfer who sat out this past season as a redshirt. Jake Lindsey and King McClure return for their senior seasons, while Tristan Clark and Mark Vital will be back as sophomores.
Mario Kegler will be eligible after sitting out the 2017-18 season as a transfer. Kegler has three years of eligibility remaining after redshirting this past season at Baylor. He made 31 starts as a true freshman at Mississippi State in 2016-17.
BAYLOR CLASS OF 2018-19 SIGNEES
Ibby Ali, 6-9, 230, Little Rock, Ark. (Maumelle HS)
Darius Allen, 6-4, 185, Melbourne, Fla. (Chaminade-Madonna Prep/Palm Beach State)
Makai Mason, 6-1, 185, Greenfield, Mass. (Hotchkiss School/Yale)
Matthew Mayer, 6-7, 190, Austin, Texas (Westlake HS)
Davion Mitchell, 6-1, 200, Hinesville, Ga. (Liberty County HS/Auburn)
Florent Thamba, 6-10, 220, Grundy, Va. (Mountain Mission School)
