Done Deal:Bearcats confirms the commitment of former Texas star player today for…

The Cincinnati Bearcats made a significant move in the NCAA transfer portal on Friday by securing the commitment of former Texas Longhorns forward Dillon Mitchell. Mitchell, standing at 6’8 and weighing 205 pounds, has two seasons of eligibility left. After departing Texas a month ago, he considered Miami and Memphis before choosing Cincinnati. Mitchell had also declared for the 2024 NBA Draft upon leaving Texas.

Mitchell’s arrival at Texas came with high expectations, being ranked as the No. 8 prospect nationally and the No. 2 small forward according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He was also seen as a potential lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft due to his exceptional athleticism from his time at Montverde Academy.

However, Mitchell faced challenges during his freshman year, particularly struggling as a shooter, which led opponents to focus defensively elsewhere unless he was close to the basket. Consequently, Mitchell’s offensive output was limited, averaging just 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game. He also struggled from beyond the arc, making only 7 of 32 attempts (21.9 percent), and his free-throw shooting was at just 40.5 percent.

At last year’s combine, Mitchell appeared to enhance his draft prospects with improved shooting displays in drills. However, he opted out of the draft when these improvements didn’t translate to scrimmage performances.

Throughout Mitchell’s sophomore season, he demonstrated a better ability to handle the ball, enabling him to push the ball in transition after securing defensive rebounds. He led the team with a 22.4 percent rate in this aspect. He also showed some progress in his mid-range shooting, hitting 27.6 percent on far twos. Additionally, he continued to excel in finishing around the rim, recording 55 dunks and shooting 80.9 percent on close twos. Although Mitchell’s free-throw percentage improved to 59.8 percent, he failed to make any of his eight three-point attempts.

In the 2023-24 season, Mitchell played an average of 29.0 minutes per game, posting stats of 9.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks. However, his field-goal percentage saw a slight drop to 58.5 percent.

In the transfer portal, Texas is actively pursuing New Mexico transfer forward JT Toppin, who seems increasingly likely to enter the professional realm after an impressive showing at the NBA Draft Combine.