Texas Basketball: Phenomenal class building with 5-Star Dillon Mitchell

At this point of the cycle, new head coach Chris Beard and the 2022 Texas basketball recruiting class are starting to put it all together. Despite missing out on some of the top targets in the 2022 class, Beard and his staff are still putting together a very impressive group thus far.

And the Longhorns are getting it done in the 2022 class with just two commits at the moment.

The second of two commits for Beard and the Longhorns in the 2022 class came in the form of the elite five-star Montverde Academy small forward Dillon Mitchell. Texas now holds commitments in the 2022 class from Spring Hill, FL, native Mitchell and five-star Dallas-Kimball point guard Arterio Morris.

The writing was on the wall of late that Beard and the Longhorns were trending to land the commitment of Mitchell. Texas made a huge late run to eventually win over Mitchell following a key Oct. 15 official visit to the Forty Acres.

And it was only back on Sep. 27 that the Longhorns had offered Mitchell in the first place. Texas was able to nab the commitment of Mitchell mainly over competing offers from the Tennessee Volunteers and Florida State Seminoles.

Texas basketball lands 5-Star SF Dillon Mitchell over FSU and Tennessee

The most recent official visits that Mitchell took prior to his with Texas earlier this month were with Tennessee in late June and Florida State in early July.

Texas is adding some serious athleticism and versatility to the men’s hoops program by having commitments from both Morris and Mitchell in the 2022 class. The 6-foot-7 and 180-pound Mitchell is an elite scorer from inside the arc and a good on-ball defender. He still needs to put on some size before he takes his talents to the collegiate level.

But if Mitchell can improve on his three-point shot and add some muscle to his frame, the sky is truly the limit for him. It’s rare that you get this type of vertical ability, on and off-ball defense, and creating from a wing like Mitchell.

There won’t be many players that he can’t guard between the one and the four in the Big 12 or the SEC. With how active he is with his hands, how quick he moves laterally, and how much size he has between his wingspan and height, Mitchell can be a nightmare for opposing offensive players that he’s matched up with.

We also can’t go without mentioning the top-notch rebounding ability that Mitchell can bring to the table on both ends of the floor. He can help create some extra possessions for the Longhorns while helping to win the battle on the boards by establishing dominance on the defensive glass.

Most of all, the value that Mitchell can bring to the table for Beard and the Longhorns specifically comes thanks to his size and versatility. Mitchell could likely play any position between the one and the five with Beard at the helm. Given his well-rounded court vision and ball-handling ability, Mitchell can be a primary or secondary facilitator and initiator.

If Mitchell puts on some size, though, he could also start for the Longhorns at the four or the five. He’s definitely a good enough on-ball defender, rebounder, and inside scorer to do so.

Mitchell is getting to play for one of the legendary high schools in hoops at Montverde Academy. He spent his first three years in high school playing for Bishop McLaughlin Catholic before transferring to Montverde Academy ahead of this coming season.

Texas landing a commitment from Mitchell makes it two top-30 ranked high school prospects in the nation in the 2022 class for Beard and his staff. Mitchell, in particular, ranks as the nation’s No. 28 2022 high school prospect, No. 8 small forward, and No. 9 prospect out of Florida (247Sports Composite).

Beard and the Longhorns have returned to the ranks of the nation’s top 20 recruiting classes for this cycle. According to the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings, the 2022 Texas recruiting class ranks at No. 20 in the nation (No. 17 in the Top247 rankings) and in the third spot in the Big 12 behind the Baylor Bears and Kansas Jayhawks.