Dreams of a 2012 Big Man

Wahooze, this is Charles Mitchell, Charles Mitchell, Wahooze. I would love to give us the oppurtunity to get to know each other better, say over the next 4 years? That sounds good.

Mitchell is a 6-7 250 pound bruiser out of Marietta, Georgia and quite possibly might be the best shot we have at getting a premier big man. When Kendall and I discussed Mitchell previously Kendall mentioned that Mitchell looked a lot like DeJaun Blair. I am going to one up Kendall and say the Mitchell reminds me quite a bit of Sir Charles Barkley. That's high praise, but let's look closer.

Mitchell is a big kid. Not very tall for a Power Forward but he is a load on the block. Mitchell is a true back to the basket scorer who understands his role in an offense like ours. When doubled down Mitchell appears to have tremendous vision to be able to find the open man. Are you intrigued? Well it gets better. Mitchell  can also demonstrate a very high basketball IQ by being able to read when and if a team is going to double down on him, which not only makes it easier to find the open man, but also makes him a great Bennett-Ball style forward. That intelligence will help on the defensive end as well, especially if he is call on to be the hedge on a guard screen like Mike is this year, though I think Justin Anderson has that locked up.

The biggest knock on Mitchell is obviously his conditioning. Throughout his high school career Mitchell has gotten into and out of shape multiple times. He also doesn't get much lift or have much range on the glass which limits his effectiveness on the defensive end. Having said that this is a perfect Jerome Meyinsse situation all over again. Get that kid on a conditioning program and watch him blossom.

Mitchell would be a great final piece to add to 2012, however almost every team that still needs a big man will most likely be knocking on his door. Mitchell currently holds offers from UVA, Georgia, Clemson, Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia Tech. That being said UVA has two major things to offer Mitchell. First is obviously PT. Mitchell would most likely be a key part of UVa's rotation next season, unless Coach Bennett decides he needs to redshirt to get in better playing shape. That being said we are most likely not the only school that is going to say the word redshirt to him, and since we are the most in need of a solid PF, we might be the one that offers him the best shot at some early PT. The second big thing we can offer is Coach Bennett's track record with making marginal bigs into good bigs. I really think that Mitchell is one of those players that can explode when he gets the right coach, and hopefully Coach Bennett is that coach.

Go Get HIM!