Mitchell makes most of opportunity for West Virginia
Tre Mitchell had been stuck in a slump.
The junior forward had scored just 29 points over the past five games while shooting just 10-33 from the field as he struggled to recapture his level of play early in the season.
But during film review, Mitchell saw that there could be opportunities for him to change that trajectory against Oklahoma State.
“Looking back at the last game I knew they weren’t going to double the post. So, I tried to take advantage of that early and that’s really what going me going,” he said.
Mitchell, who is comfortable scoring the ball with his back to the basket, did just that and put together his best scoring performance of the season with 22 points on 8-15 shooting. He wasn’t just looking to score; Mitchell was aggressive in trying to establish himself and take quality shots.
It was the type of effort that can help jump start a player at this point of the season and Mitchell understands that this team needs him to help across the board.
“That’s been an area I’ve been confident in my entire life,” Mitchell said. “I’ve played a lot of basketball on the block and that mid-post.”
His versatility created problems for the Cowboys as he not only could score over smaller defenders in the post but has the ability to step out and make shots against bigger bodies.
The end result was one that was needed not only for his confidence but the success of his team.
“It takes a little bit of a toll mentally because I want to be out there and perform for my team and my guys,” Mitchell said. “But the reality is I just stayed the course. Stayed in the gym and kept working.”
Not only did it give the Mountaineers a successful scoring option in the post which opened up more for his teammates, it also was the best that Mitchell had performed on the other end of the floor.
“That was without question his best overall performance,” head coach Bob Huggins said. “He really did a good job of guarding. He switched off on guards, stayed in front of them and really did a good job moving his feet. That’s the best I’ve seen Tre play.”
That’s important because of how West Virginia switched ball screens it put Mitchell in matchups with quicker players and he was able to stay in front. His length created issues which forced tougher shots and allowed the Mountaineers to net a major win over Oklahoma State.
The 6-foot-9 versatile big never gave up confidence in himself despite the struggles and if West Virginia is going to potentially make a run down the stretch they’re going to need Mitchell playing his best.
“He’s a guy that maybe can and should have a career in basketball and he’s moving in a direction that he needs to move to be able to do that. I think when he first got here he wasn’t doing that,” Huggins said.
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