Hometown Hero and Former Duke Star Lands at Mizzou

After one of the worst seasons in program history, the Missouri Tigers are determined to take a significant step forward next season. In his second season as the Mizzou head coach, Dennis Gates finished the SEC play 0-18 after making the second round of the NCAA Tournament the year prior. Now, they are making moves to go back to their winning ways.

Earlier in the transfer portal process, the Tigers landed Tony Perkins and Marques Warrick to bolster their backcourt depth. On Friday night, they landed one of the biggest names in the transfer portal, getting Duke forward Mark Mitchell to commit.

Former Duke Starter Mark Mitchell Joining Mizzou

After being one of the best high school players in the country at Sunrise Christian Academy, the Kansas City native Mitchell chose Duke over Kansas, Mizzou, and UCLA. The former five-star recruit started in 67 games for Duke over the past two seasons, thriving as a high-level defender and a potential two-way forward.

Mitchell was tasked with guarding the best players in the country throughout his Duke tenure. He has the ability to switch out on the perimeter and guard multiple positions. He also provides help defense as he forces a ton of turnovers and missed shots at the rim.

What he needs to improve is his offensive game. Mitchell was an afterthought for Duke offense and his usage rate plummeted as the season progressed. He wasn't able to turn himself into a respectable shooter as he only took 1.4 threes per game and made 31.9 percent in two seasons. He needs to become more of a threat as a shooter to become the prototypical 3-and-D prospect that we know he can be.

This is an excellent opportunity for Mitchell to turn a new page and start over. Both coach Gates and Mitchell need one another to help them in this bounce-back season.