Texas freshman Dillon Mitchell will enter the 2023 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Wednesday.
Mitchell, the No. 31 prospect in ESPN’s most recent mock draft, averaged 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in 17 minutes per game at Texas, helping the Longhorns reach the NCAA tournament Elite Eight, where they lost to Miami.
Mitchell entered the season as a projected top-10 pick but saw his stock decline as his playing time was reduced amid paltry offensive production. He shot 64% from the field but would have the lowest usage rate of any college player drafted in the past 30 years, having attempted just 3.1 shots per game in a crowded, veteran frontcourt.
In spite of his lackluster production, Mitchell reminded NBA scouts why he was so highly regarded on several occasions with his unique combination of mobility, explosiveness, defensive instincts and finishing ability, areas that give him significant potential to continue to improve at just 19 years old.
Mitchell will maintain his NCAA eligibility for the time being to protect himself against injury but is not expected to return to the college level. NBA teams will be looking to study him more closely during the pre-draft process to see whether they can uncover what made him the No. 4 prospect in ESPN’s recruiting rankings prior to enrolling at Texas.
The NBA draft combine will be held May 15-21 in Chicago, and the draft will be June 22 in Brooklyn.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by the NBA, NCAA and international teams.