Davian Mitchell became a household name this March thanks to his NCAA Tournament Heroes as the engine driving Baylor's title. He posted 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in 35 minutes in a win over undefeated Gonzaga and projected top five pick Jalen Suggs, earning fans nationwide with his defensive intensity, bursts, vision and shotmaking abilities.
Even NBA players took notice, with Portland Trail Blazers' Damien Lillard tweeting at Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, "You play for the Baylor bra? I'm confused."
Despite the apparent similarities and the friendship and mutual respect between the two - they share the same agent - Davian Mitchell is no Donovan Mitchell clone. Nor is he an NCAA Tournament darling that raised the draft board as a product of the recency bias that comes with a strong late-season performance.
From grueling open runs at the Schuman Recreation Center in his hometown of Hinesville, Georgia, to 4 a.m. in Waco, Texas, to tireless film studies with Baylor graduate assistants, Mitchell's journey is a story of resilience and player development. Unseen Hours laid the groundwork for Mitchell's transformation, both mentally and physically, from a lightly used freshman at Auburn to a 6-foot-1 star battling confidently up and down as a shooter. , which instantly picks up the level of any workout, exercise or game. and is now estimated to be a top-10 pick.
As Baylor's assistant coach John Jacks told ESPN over the phone, "He's relentless."
The journey
The Jacks, head coach Scott Drew and the rest of Baylor's staff sat in the film room in Waco evaluating Mitchell, a potential transfer that ended a mediocre freshman season at Auburn, during which he scored 3.7 points in 17.1 minutes per game. averaged out.
The 57th-rated recruit in the nation right out of high school impressed with his defensive quickness and ferocity. But he could only make 4 out of 19 shots from the dribble on the half court, and needed to overhaul his pull-up footwork and read and trim his frame. Still, his lateral speed, leg speed, and energy left Drew and his staff working hard enough to make a push for Mitchell.
"We needed ball hawking guards because we were going to the playing field and man to see if we could get more modern and switch," Jacks said. "He just ticked all those boxes."
The defensive brutality that Baylor sees in the film is deeply rooted, and largely a product of, his hometown of Hinesville—home to just over 30,000 people. Hinesville, located 45 minutes outside of Savannah, has been described as a military town and has produced many professional athletes, including Miami Dolphins linebacker Rakwon McMillan, Cleveland Browns safety Richard LeCount III and Jordan McRae, who have played in the NBA. Played 123 games for five teams. And in 2016 won a ring with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Justin Young, brother of Phoenix Suns assistant coach Kevin Young and a highly regarded talent said, "If you really wanted to back it up, Hinesville, Georgia, is probably the major reason he is today because of how he was raised. was." The appraiser has been searching for Joe Mitchell since he was 13 years old. "If someone calls me and says, 'Hey, there's a kid in Hinesville, I don't need to read the rest of the sentence, I'm already in the car.
After Mitchell gave Baylor the national title, his hometown held a parade for him and officially gave him the keys to the city.
Mitchell, who has had the ball in his hands since the age of 4, was made to compete. He had three uncles who all played basketball, participated in spirited runs at the Schuman Rec Center and fought Georgia native Collin Sexton. The mindset he developed led to an illustrious high school career and a Class 4A state title his junior season. Despite having success with the Georgia Stars AAU team with Chuma OKEKE, Mitchell was the only camp ever invited to the NBPA Top-100 camp. Young jokingly compared him to George Harrison of the Beatles - an underappreciated member of a successful group who was probably the creative genius behind it.
Once he reached Auburn, Mitchell immediately opened his eyes to his defense, pace and approach to the game.
"Incredible kid," said Auburn's assistant coach, Steven Pearl. "Worked off his ass. Great teammate. Very well trained. Loved the kid to death."
Mitchell was drafted into his new campaign as Auburn's starting point guard, but after sophomore guard Jared Harper played so well during a preseason overseas tour that he eventually won the job, Mitchell turned to an active, defensive- Served more as backup oriented.
Seeking a fresh start and more on-ball duties after his new season, Mitchell transferred to Baylor, and it didn't take long for Baylor's staff to realize what was in Mitchell during his sit-out year. . There were times when Baylor standout guard Jared Butler struggled to get the ball to the half court during practice against a stout defender. Even the Baylor alum who returned during the summers was blown away by his defensive intensity, quickness, and willingness to defend 94 feet in pickup games.
"If we're playing 1 on 1, I just want to defend," Mitchell tells us of his love for defense. "Even if he scores, bro I really want to defend, I want to get better. You have to be able to guard now. Everyone can score basketball. What's different to you? That's what makes me different this whole draft, I think I play the best defense in the country."
That mindset never left Mitchell, the 2020-21 National Defensive Player of the Year, who said he would rather get a stop to win a game than make a buzzer-beating shot. From seeing him at age 13 with the Coastal Crew Rebels to former NBA legend Don McLean now working with him in LA, Mitchell's defensive identity has been front and center at every stop.
"He's been incredible," said McLean, who has been training a group that includes Mitchell, Keon Johnson, Isaiah Jackson, De'Ron Sharp and Rocco Prakasin. "He's the best backcourt defender I've ever had, and I've been doing it for 15, 17 years. He's defensively elite at his size."
While it was clear that he was always going to be an elite defender with his stellar balance, strong base, mindset and excellent technique, it wasn't until Mitchell fell in love with film studies that he became an offensive player. And as legitimate had begun to blossom in full. NBA prospect.