For Now, Kentucky Reloads Roster With Mark Mitchell’s Commitment

Aug 25, 2026 05:00 PM - 1 hour ago 1

After 4 years successful college, Mark Mitchell was fresh to pursuit his master dreams. He moreover played for the Denver Nuggets successful the NBA Summer League successful July, the earthy adjacent measurement successful his career. He spent 2 years apiece astatine Duke and Missouri and started each but 1 of the 134 games he appeared in, averaging much than 27 minutes per crippled each season.

Now, alternatively of chasing the NBA aliases an overseas league, Mitchell is seeking to make an moreover bigger effect astatine Kentucky, a schoolhouse he committed to connected Saturday, 1 time aft a judge successful the authorities ruled successful favour of Mitchell and 12 different erstwhile assemblage athletes. The judge granted the athletes a impermanent restraining order, meaning they tin play a 5th year. But the NCAA could entreaty the decision, putting their eligibility successful question.

The aforesaid script is playing retired crossed the state arsenic members of the precocious schoolhouse people of 2022 are arguing that they should get different twelvemonth successful college. Effective Aug, 1, the NCAA is allowing players 5 years of eligibility successful 5 years aft entering college, but the statement said the norm does not use to seniors who exhausted their 4 years of eligibility during the 2025-26 schoolhouse year.

If Mitchell gets a 5th year, he will springiness Kentucky a awesome boost arsenic the schoolhouse seeks a Southeastern Conference title and heavy NCAA tourney run. Mitchell, a 6-foot-8 forward, has already proven he tin play astatine the highest levels of assemblage hoops and should beryllium successful the operation for first squad All-SEC and perchance All-American honors this season.

Mitchell was the No. 13 classed enlistee successful the precocious schoolhouse people of 2022, per 247Sports. As a freshman astatine Duke, he started each 35 games he appeared successful earlier sustaining a season-ending knee wounded heading into the 2nd information of the NCAA tournament. The adjacent season, he started each but 1 game, averaged 11.6 points and six rebounds per crippled and changeable 54% from the field.

In 2024, Mitchell transferred to Missouri, wherever he helped the Tigers amended from 8-24 and 0-18 successful the SEC the anterior play to 22-12 and 10-8 successful the SEC pinch an NCAA tourney appearance. He averaged a team-high 13.9 points per crippled and made 3rd squad All-SEC.

Last season, Mitchell averaged a team-high 18.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per crippled and helped the Tigers to different NCAA tournament, the first clip since 2012 and 2013 that they qualified for consecutive NCAAs. Missouri mislaid successful the first information to Miami, but Mitchell was named 2nd squad All-SEC.

After nary squad selected Mitchell successful June’s NBA draft, he signed an Exhibit 10 statement pinch the Nuggets, which is a one-year, non-guaranteed deal. Mitchell appeared successful 4 Summer League games pinch the Nuggets, making 5 of his 14 section goals pinch 19 points and 7 rebounds successful little than 15 minutes per game.

Earlier this month, Mitchell joined a suit revenge successful Kentucky involving players seeking different twelvemonth of assemblage eligibility. After the judge ruled successful their favour connected Friday, Mitchell entered the transportation portal and committed to Kentucky, a coup for Wildcats coach Mark Pope, who is entering his 3rd season.

With Mitchell’s commitment, Kentucky now has the No. 1 transportation people successful the nation, per 247Sports, surpassing Louisville, its in-state rival that has besides invested heavy this offseason. The Wildcats’ transfers see Milan Momcilovic, a 6-foot-8 guardant who averaged 16.8 points per crippled and changeable 48.7% connected 7.5 3-point attempts per crippled past play astatine Iowa State; defender Zoom Diallo, who averaged 15.7 points and 4.5 assists per crippled astatine Washington; and defender Alex Wilkins, who averaged 17.8 points per crippled arsenic a freshman astatine Furman.

Malachi Moreno, a 7-foot halfway who averaged 7.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per crippled past play arsenic a freshman, is the only Kentucky starter returning from a squad that went 22-14, vanished seventh successful the SEC pinch a 10-8 grounds and mislaid successful the 2nd information of the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats person conscionable 2 different players connected its roster back: defender Kam Williams, a apical reserve who averaged six points per game, and guardant Trent Noah, who sustained an ankle wounded precocious successful the play and missed the NCAAs. Noah didn’t spot overmuch clip erstwhile healthy, either.

Kentucky entered past play classed ninth successful the Associated Press preseason canvass and reportedly invested much than $20 cardinal connected its roster. As such, the Wildcats did not unrecorded up to expectations. This season, they could again participate arsenic a top-10 team. After missing retired connected immoderate transfers successful the spring, Pope redeemed himself by convincing Moreno to return and getting Momcilovic and Mitchell to commit. The Wildcats still look immoderate uncertainty astir Mitchell’s eligibility. But if he is yet cleared and plays arsenic he did astatine Missouri, Kentucky should beryllium successful an enviable position to scope its potential.