By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
When an NBA hopeful is in the Green Room for draft night, that’s pretty telling what the league thinks of your chances.
An incredible season for Baylor’s Davion Mitchell reached the pinnacle on Thursday when the Sacramento Kings selected him with the No. 9 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft.
Mitchell was dressed in a red satin jacket, black shirt and white pants as he waited for his name to be called in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Noted for his defense in which he earned the nickname "Off Night", Mitchell’s offensive game went to the next level this past season.
He led all Baylor players in shooting (.511) and 3-point shooting (.441). Mitchell finished the Bears’ National Championship season averaging 14.0 points per game. The Bears finished the season at 28-2.
During the six-game tournament run, Mitchell averaged 13.5 points and shot 50 percent (34-68) from the field. He was also named to the All-Final Four team after Baylor defeated Gonzaga for its first national title, 86-70.
One of his notable performances was in the Elite 8 matchup against Arkansas. Mitchell picked up three fouls in the first half but didn’t collect a foul in the second half and scored 10 of his 12 points in that stanza as the Bears held off the Razorbacks, 81-72, to win the South Regional and make their third Final Four appearance in school history.
A transfer from Auburn, Mitchell sat out for the 2018-19 season but contributed mightily during the 26-4 2019-20 campaign in which Baylor rattled off a Big 12-record 23-game winning streak.
He developed that defensive reputation last year but wasn’t counted on as much offensively when he averaged just 9.9 points and shot 41 percent from the field and 32 percent from the arc.
Fort 2020-21, Mitchell was also named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and first-team selection, a third-team All-American and the South Regional MVP.
NBA draft projections have pretty much locked Mitchell to land somewhere in the first round. Those have run from either the lottery to the later picks.
Publisher
When an NBA hopeful is in the Green Room for draft night, that’s pretty telling what the league thinks of your chances.
An incredible season for Baylor’s Davion Mitchell reached the pinnacle on Thursday when the Sacramento Kings selected him with the No. 9 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft.
Mitchell was dressed in a red satin jacket, black shirt and white pants as he waited for his name to be called in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Noted for his defense in which he earned the nickname "Off Night", Mitchell’s offensive game went to the next level this past season.
He led all Baylor players in shooting (.511) and 3-point shooting (.441). Mitchell finished the Bears’ National Championship season averaging 14.0 points per game. The Bears finished the season at 28-2.
During the six-game tournament run, Mitchell averaged 13.5 points and shot 50 percent (34-68) from the field. He was also named to the All-Final Four team after Baylor defeated Gonzaga for its first national title, 86-70.
One of his notable performances was in the Elite 8 matchup against Arkansas. Mitchell picked up three fouls in the first half but didn’t collect a foul in the second half and scored 10 of his 12 points in that stanza as the Bears held off the Razorbacks, 81-72, to win the South Regional and make their third Final Four appearance in school history.
A transfer from Auburn, Mitchell sat out for the 2018-19 season but contributed mightily during the 26-4 2019-20 campaign in which Baylor rattled off a Big 12-record 23-game winning streak.
He developed that defensive reputation last year but wasn’t counted on as much offensively when he averaged just 9.9 points and shot 41 percent from the field and 32 percent from the arc.
Fort 2020-21, Mitchell was also named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and first-team selection, a third-team All-American and the South Regional MVP.
NBA draft projections have pretty much locked Mitchell to land somewhere in the first round. Those have run from either the lottery to the later picks.
