Texas Basketball: Dillon Mitchell makes wise decision returning to school

Texas basketball and new head coach Rodney Terry got some great news to cap the month of May with the announcement that rising sophomore forward Dillon Mitchell will be returning for next season. The former elite five-star recruit and second-year forward withdrew his name from the 2023 NBA Draft pool literally right before the withdrawal deadline on the night of May 31.

Mitchell was the last remaining player whom the Longhorns were waiting on a decision from this offseason as to whether they would return to school for the 2023-24 season. He is the second Longhorn to withdraw their name from the NBA Draft to return to school for next season after rising junior guard Tyrese Hunter announced he was returning a couple of weeks prior to Mitchell.

Mitchell returning to Texas means that Terry and his staff now have nine scholarship players on the projected roster for next season. He is also the third Longhorn to return from last year’s team ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

The aforementioned Hunter and redshirt senior big man Dylan Disu are the other two Longhorns that will be back on the 40 from last year’s squad.

Texas basketball gets Dillon Mitchell back for another season

So, what does it mean for the Longhorns to get Mitchell back for a second year?

First off, I think this was the right decision for Mitchell to return to Texas for another season to help develop his game and put himself in a better position to be a solidified first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Mitchell’s game was limited last season, as he only averaged around four points per game, four rebounds, 0.5 assists, and 0.5 steals while playing just shy of 18 minutes per game.

Returning for another season will give Mitchell the opportunity to make the necessary strides in terms of expanding his range on offense while polishing his defensive game. Mitchell’s scoring range last season was very limited, to the point where he wasn’t much of a viable threat to shoot the ball more than six or eight feet from the basket.

Not only did Mitchell not attempt a single three-pointer last season, but he also took only 19.5 percent of his shot attempts outside of the paint and/or at the rim.

Mitchell showed improved range shooting from deep during the draft scouting process

At the 2023 NBA Draft Combine, Mitchell’s shot-making ability from deep was put on display a number of different times. He showed that he has a natural shooting stroke that can allow him to become a threat from downtown if he can find that same rhythm in-game.

With improved confidence and a more concentrated offensive role with Terry and the Longhorns next season, Mitchell should be able to become more of a dynamic offensive threat if he can show this type of range from deep as he did at the combine during his sophomore campaign.

If Mitchell can improve his scoring range for the Longhorns next season, the rest of his offensive game should really open up. Becoming a more dynamic shooting threat in the half-court offense will open up more space for Mitchell as opposing defenders will have to take the threat he opposes outside of eight feet from the basket much more seriously.

Another part of Mitchell’s offensive game that could open up if he expands his shooting range is the ability to facilitate the ball from the post and the elbow. During his high school recruitment, Mitchell showed the ability to see the court well and get the ball to open teammates from inside the arc.

It looked like he was going to be able to develop into a solid secondary facilitator and distributor from inside the arc at the collegiate level. But that part of his game never really opened up last season due to the fact that he didn’t pose much of a threat to create for himself away from the rim.

Opposing defenders didn’t have to respect his scoring ability outside of the paint, so he didn’t have much room to find open teammates and drive and kick the ball out himself.

But I think there’s a lot of potential to this part of Mitchell’s game if his offensive skill set develops heading into next season. Mitchell’s ability to drive and finish at the rim is very pronounced when he’s given the opportunity to facilitate the offense from the elbow or the wing. I would like to see Terry draw up more plays to let this part of Mitchell’s game flourish next season.

Mitchell will be a switchable menace on defense

We already saw last season what Mitchell can do as a top-notch on-ball defender. He can defend any position between the one and the four, and occasionally even some smaller fives. Mitchell has excellent lateral agility, a long frame, and really good timing on the defensive end.

That results in him not only being a disruptive on-ball defender that can draw turnovers but also one that can protect the rim and rebound at a high level. Mitchell promises to be one of the most versatile and consistent on-ball defenders in the rotation for Texas next season.

Where I think Mitchell can still improve on the defensive end, though, is with his discipline and off-ball awareness. Mitchell occasionally bit on shot fakes a little too early on defense last season. He was also prone to missing assignments at times off-ball on the defensive end.

Both of those areas of improvement are pretty easy to clean up for a player as gifted as Mitchell, though.

Mitchell’s return is an all-around plus for Texas

Some of the other ways that Mitchell’s return to Texas will help Terry and the Longhorns next season are in terms of improving the transition game, adding more size on the defensive end, and efficiency on the offensive glass.

Mitchell is a player with a lot of vertical ability and an extremely high motor. He can live above the rim, which he showed with a lot of insane offensive rebounds and putbacks last season. Mitchell was also an explosive finisher at the rim in transition.

Terry likes to play at an above-average pace and push the ball in transition to get easier high-percentage buckets. Getting Mitchell back in the fold will make it easier for Texas to get out and run in transition while having more than enough athleticism in the frontcourt lineup to play at a faster pace.

Mitchell’s return to Texas means that the frontcourt unit is rounded out for all intents and purposes. He could push for a starting role in the frontcourt, but that would mean moving either Disu or the former Virginia Cavaliers redshirt junior big man Kadin Shedrick to the bench to start games.

I don’t know if moving Shedrick to the bench is a very viable option next season.

Thus, here’s a look at what a starting unit with Mitchell in it, and then one without, could look like next season (given the current projected roster for the Longhorns).

With Mitchell

PG: Max Abmas

SG: Tyrese Hunter

Wing: Brock Cunningham

PF: Dillon Mitchell

C: Dylan Disu

Without Mitchell

PG: Max Abmas

SG: Tyrese Hunter

Wing: Chendall Weaver/TBD portal

PF: Dylan Disu

C: Kadin Shedrick

I would personally prefer the lineup that starts Mitchell at the four and has Shedrick as the player with the biggest role coming off the bench. That would open up more floor spacing while still giving the Longhorns more than enough size and switchability to hold up on the defensive end, especially with Brock Cunningham at the three and Mitchell at the four.

But there is still a pretty glaring need for Texas to add depth to the wing/backcourt unit. Terry and the Longhorns are probably still one or two portal players away from rounding out this rotation heading into next season. Adding a depth guard and a quality wing out of the portal are probably the two biggest needs on the transfer market for Terry at the moment.