High-scoring JUCO player interested in Hawaii
One of the top scoring players in junior college is interested in playing for the Hawaii basketball team.
DeShawn Mitchell, a high-flying 6-foot-5, 207-pound wing player at Snow College (Utah), has Hawaii listed among the schools he is looking at joining next season.
“I really like Hawaii,” he said. “I like the coaching staff. I watched a couple of their games on ESPN and I like the way they played. I’m impressed with Hawaii.”
However, Mitchell said he is also interested in several other schools – “too many to name them all,” he said — and will probably not make a decision until after this season is completed.
Mitchell is currently averaging 24.8 points per game, which ranks him among the top five scorers in all of junior college. He is also averaging 6.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, and has an impressive .523 field goal percentage.
“He’s a long, rangy, really athletic wing,” Snow head coach Michael Ostlund said. “He’s real versatile. He can shoot it from the wing, but can also jump over you and dunk it.”
As proof of his versatility, Mitchell has made 32 3-pointers in 20 games this season, and also leads his team with 21 blocked shots.
“Offensively, he can play for anybody in the country,” Ostlund said. “He has some work to do on the defensive end, but he’s getting better.”
Mitchell played high school basketball at perennial national power Oak Hill Academy, then played his freshman season of college at UNLV in 2008-09, but left after that season. He transferred to Rider (which is in his home state of New Jersey) for the 2009-10 season, but did not play. He joined Snow this season because one of his former high school teammates was there.
Mitchell averaged just 1.6 points per game and 5.4 minutes per game as a reserve during his freshman year at UNLV.
Here is a link to a 2008 story on Mitchell’s dunking prowess: Las Vegas Sun
And here is a video with highlights from Mitchell’s freshman season at UNLV (there are several players featured in the video; Mitchell is wearing jersey No. 15):
…drools
imagine if we can “get” mitchell?
what a lineup!
what depth!
run n gun pro style…oh yah.
i can see him and joston running circles down low.
and he would add instant to the transition game
gerry blakes, et al.
yikes. give that man a raise already. extend his contract three more years and pay for the punahou education. yah, all five kids.
wow this is the kind of exciting players we need, he’s athletic, young, and has experience. someone that can actually throw it down in a variety of ways and bring the people at home to ssc every night to enjoy. “the human highlight” but the biggest key for getting these players are WINS.
This kid is the type of athlete we need.
We should give Gib Arnold an extension and a raise because this kid listed us as one of the schools he is looking at for next year? Really?
Wow! It would be just awesome if this kid would enroll at UH. If he still has the moves as shown on the video……….he would bring in a lot of fans into the Stan Sheriff Arena. I think this is the kind of players Hawaii fans love to watch. Guys like this are just exciting.
This kid would be a great get, but until he signs on the dotted line, let’s not get too carried away..
interest is good, we can always use more talented players that can score.
DeShawn is a cancer. Great great player, but he has been kicked off his JC team (Snow College in Ephraim, Utah). He got kicked off for being a “bad teamate” in the words of his coach.
http://www.sanpetemessenger.com/stories/2-9-2011/sports2.html
Thank God DeShawn is still attending classes at Snow to finish up his Juco year. He is 21 years old he will learn from this. God has his hand on DeShawn and he shall have a prosperous end!
Just spoke to DeShawn the other day told me he plans to attend Hawaii next year he will be a great player there. Im very happy he is getting to go to school and continue his education and play ball he has a chance to be a special player.
DeShawn will do and bring good things to Hawaii.. Its unfortunate that he had a mis-understanding with his coach and these things happen in life.. What I dont like is the coach’s need to make him look like such a bad horrible person after the mis-understanding. With that being said, DeShawn will be a wonderful asset to Hawaii and I wish him all the luck in the world. He is and will be a true WARRIOR….