Sunrise Christian senior forward Mark Mitchell cuts list to KU, Missouri, two others
Mark Mitchell, a 6-foot-8, 205-pound senior forward from Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, formerly of Bishop Miege High School, on Saturday cut his list of prospective colleges to four.
They are: Kansas, Missouri, Duke and UCLA. He made the announcement on Twitter.
Mitchell is ranked No. 8 in the recruiting class of 2022 by Rivals.com, No. 9 by 247sports.com and No. 17 by ESPN.com.
Mitchell has visited all four schools. At one point he also had Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas, USC, Wake Forest and others on his list.
He told 247sports.com he will attend KU’s Late Night in the Phog on Oct. 1 and also visit UCLA on Sept. 18-19, Duke for its Countdown to Craziness scrimmage in October and Missouri at a yet-to-be-determined date.
Of KU, Mitchell, who averaged 18.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game his junior season at Miege, told 247sports.com: “It is the relationship that I have with them and knowing them for so long. Coach Norm Roberts (assistant) has probably been recruiting me since eighth grade. Bill Self (coach) came to a game in the eighth grade. Just knowing them for so long. Like all of the schools in my top four I think I could play in their system, so that’s the main thing. It is also close to home.”
Of Missouri he said: “That staff is almost like family. I think me going to Mizzou could almost create something new. They’ll have some young guys, some transfers, and I think maybe me going there could start something new almost like what Michael Porter did.”
He also commented on KU and MU to Zagsblog.com. Of KU, he said: “Kansas is a place for perimeter players too. I think that could benefit me if I decide to go there. Also, my roommate (at Sunrise, Gradey Dick), is a KU commit, so that could be a factor.”
Of MU, he said: “The staff there is almost like family. Coach Cuonzo (Martin) and coach Marco (Harris-Stevens) and coach (Chris) Hollender and those guys, just the way they run things over there is just precise. I think me going to Mizzou could create something new there, start a new thing there. I loved it when I went on my visit. They run an NBA-style offense. I could definitely fit in.”
Mitchell — he shared the DiRenna Award (best player in KC area) with Lawrence High senior Zeke Mayo last spring — told Zagsblog.com he hopes to announce his college choice in December.
KU has three commitments so far in the recruiting class of 2022. They are: Dick, 6-7, 195, senior, forward, Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kansas; Zuby Ojiofor, 6-8, 220, senior, forward, Garland (Texas) High School and M.J. Rice 6-5, 200, senior, guard/forward, Prolific Prep, Windsor, California.
This story was originally published August 21, 2021 at 6:57 PM with the headline "Sunrise Christian senior forward Mark Mitchell cuts list to KU, Missouri, two others."
