Texas Basketball: 3 struggling players spurring the losing streak

Tre Mitchell, C

One player that really needs to step up for the Longhorns as he works his way back into the thick of the starting unit after getting back from the COVID-19 protocols last week is the junior standout center, Tre Mitchell. As one of the most exciting additions out of the NCAA Transfer Portal last offseason, Mitchell has lived up to the hype in bits and pieces. But the jury is still out on the overall impact he’s made for this team this season.

After getting off to a hot start this season, Mitchell’s production has greatly slowed at the outset of the Big 12 slate. Part of that obviously has to do with the fact that he was in the COVID-19 protocols for a while and then just returned last week.

But that is why it is very important for Mitchell to recover after a bad run of late in Big 12 play. Mitchell is a critical part of this frontcourt unit. He and senior forward Timmy Allen might be the two most important players in the frontcourt unit for Beard and the Longhorns this season.

Through five games played in the Big 12 this season, Mitchell has averaged around five points per game, two rebounds, no assists, no steals, and no blocks while shooting 40 percent from the field and 14 percent from beyond the arc. After starting out the season averaging scoring in double figures while shooting better than 52 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc, this is a pretty big letdown to start Big 12 play.

But if there is a candidate that I would say to watch to really break out in Big 12 play in the not-too-distant future, it is definitely Mitchell. He’s an impact big man that will continue to up his game in the next couple of outings.