Texas Basketball: 3 best Longhorns NBA Draft prospects

Dillon Mitchell, F

The only player for the Longhorns that could even somewhat realistically be assured a spot in the first or early second round in the 2023 NBA Draft is the former elite five-star recruit and true freshman forward Dillon Mitchell.

Despite having a bit of a disappointing run with the Longhorns so far this season, Mitchell is still viewed by most as a high ceiling forward that could be worth the risk in the late first round of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Mitchell was definitely the most hyped-up NBA Draft prospect when he first arrived on the Forty Acres after signing with the Longhorns 2022 class last summer. Most preseason 2023 NBA mock drafts last fall pegged Mitchell as a well-entrenched lottery pick.

But that outlook for Mitchell in terms of his status as a potential lottery pick in the 2023 draft has taken a hit in a big way this season. Mitchell’s offensive development essentially was nonexistent in terms of his ability to pose a scoring threat any further than four or five feet from the rim and he didn’t get much of an opportunity to develop his facilitating ability from the inside-out either this season.

In fact, Mitchell has yet to attempt a single three-point attempt on the season. More than 81 percent of Mitchell’s field goal attempts on the season have come within nine feet of the basket.

For a player that came out of high school with a pretty solid fundamental shooting stroke, that is an insanely low volume of attempts away outside of the paint.

He’s also only got 14 assists on the season, which is largely a byproduct of him not handling the ball as a tertiary facilitator almost ever in Rodney Terry or Chris Beard’s offensive system.

On a positive note, though, Mitchell has proven to be one of the most explosive rebounding forwards in the country and one of the most emphatic finishers around the rim. His length and vertical ability make him one of the most unique athletes that can dominate the paint on both ends of the floor.

The defensive end of the floor is where Mitchell really shines. He’s a really solid one-on-one defender that can switch to cover almost every single position on the floor. Mitchell’s length is a real problem and allows him to get his hands in the passing lane and really disrupt the shot attempts of players he’s matched up against on defense.

The length and athleticism that Mitchell brings to the table also show up in transition. He’s able to run the floor really well and can throw down lobs with the best of them. You just have to toss the ball up in Mitchell’s generic area and he’s able to latch onto the ball like a magnet and throw it down emphatically.

All in all, these insane physical traits that Mitchell boasts still make him a very valuable prospect in the eyes of NBA Draft scouts. He does have a long way to go in terms of the development of his game and overall range on the offensive end of the floor. But he’s got an established floor given his insane upside on the defensive end and his rebounding/finishing ability around the rim.