Texas Basketball: 2 studs, 1 dud from UT’s win vs. Houston Christian

Stud: Dillon Mitchell, F

Mitchell has regularly held a spot on the studs list for Texas in the seven games the team has won early this season. He’s proven to be a key cog in this offense after expanding his game on this end of the floor with some hard work during the offseason.

We’re still seeing the same version of Mitchell, who defended well, disrupted opponents, and made high-flying plays above the rim on both ends. But Mitchell has added more of a facilitator and floor-spacer aspects to his game as he developed in his first full offseason at Texas.

Mitchell showed off those improved facilitator skills and the ability to hit shots from multiple levels of the offensive half-court against Houston Christian. He dished out three dimes while turning the ball over just once.

Meanwhile, Mitchell was efficient, shooting 5-of-8 from the field, 0-of-1 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.

On the defensive end of the floor, Mitchell brought tremendous energy. He played a big role in helping the Longhorns hold the Huskies to a season-low 50 points. While Houston Christian has struggled early this season, with a record of 1-7 after the loss to Texas, they’ve still played some solid defensive teams so far.

Houston Christian scored 65 points against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 63 on the BYU Cougars, and 64 on the TCU Horned Frogs.

Moreover, Mitchell did a little bit of everything to disrupt Houston Christian on the defensive end. He registered a game-high 11 defensive rebounds, one block, and two steals. Two of the turnovers he generated resulted in quick buckets on the other end in transition for the Longhorns.

Adding in one offensive rebound, Mitchell finished with a double-double with 13 points and a dozen boards.

This was the fifth game of the season for Mitchell rebounding in the double figures. And it is his team-leading third double-double of the season. According to Sports Reference, Mitchell is tied for the second-most games in the NCAA this season with at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, one steal, and one block (three games).

Mitchell has turned into a double-double machine for the Longhorns with how he’s improved his game on the offensive end of the floor this year.