NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Pros and cons of Mark Mitchell’s final 4 teams

Missouri Tigers

The Tigers are in an uphill fight to get towards the top-tier of the SEC and are still building up its 2022 class, currently with three-star guard Christian Jones as the lone commit for the team. They haven’t had a five-star commitment since the Porter brothers (Michael and Jontay) but head coach Cuanzo Martin has good connections and has had success at Missouri.

Pros

Teams such as Duke and Kansas may have more talent than Missouri but they also will be younger. And that matters in the NCAA Tournament, as the more veteran-laden programs tend to have more success. That’ll be the case for the Tigers in the 2022-23 season, as they currently have only wing, Javon Pickett, as a senior on the roster. So Mitchell can simply replace him at that position and be surrounded by veterans and experienced supporting players.

Unlike the other options, Mitchell can come into Missouri and be the leading offensive option and showcase his skills for NBA scouts. As we’ve seen previous top picks, you don’t have to play at a “blue blood” to get picked high in the draft. Plus, playing in the talent-rich SEC will be beneficial for the prospect as well.

Cons

As much as I hype the experience factor that Missouri may have, that doesn’t mean they’ll still be very good, even with Mitchell on board. There are a few incoming transfers but none of them are high-profile and there’s a real chance that they’ll be the second-worst team in the SEC ahead of Georgia. Mitchell would really have to prioritize wanting to be the go-to scorer for the Tigers to have a shot here because that’s the only thing they have above the other three options.