Busting Brackets
Fansided

Duke Basketball: Impact of Proctor, Filipowski, and Mitchell back for 2023-24 season

ByBrian Emory|
GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 09: Kyle Filipowski #30 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts following a basket and drawing a foul during the first half of their game against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the quarterfinals of the ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 9, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 09: Kyle Filipowski #30 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts following a basket and drawing a foul during the first half of their game against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the quarterfinals of the ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 9, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
2 of 5
Mark Mitchell #25 of the Duke Basketball (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Mark Mitchell #25 of the Duke Basketball (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Mark Mitchell

Mark Mitchell is the type of player every college coach dreams of having on his roster.

The forward from Kansas City epitomizes what it means to be a team player, as he is a defensive enforcer that also has a budding offensive skillset. After scoring 8 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in Duke’s Round of 64 blowout over Oral Roberts, an injury in practice the next day kept Mitchell out of Duke’s second round matchup with Tennessee.

The forward’s absence was sorely felt, as Duke lost the game while Tennessee forward Oliver Nkamhoua had a career outing with 27 points and five rebounds. The thought that Mitchell would have been the man to defend Nkamhoua in this matchup remains a sore subject for Duke fans.

Mitchell is a versatile forward that can defend numerous positions. He’s also packed with a quick first step that makes him a threat to get downhill and attack offensively. Overall, Mitchell needs to show some improvement as a scorer if he wants to see his draft stock significantly rise.

The good news for Mitchell and the Blue Devils is that he already demonstrated improvement in this aspect of his game throughout the course of last season. Mitchell scored in double figures in six of his last eight contests, while only having 10 such performances in the previous 27. Expect Mitchell to become even more difficult to stop when attacking the basket next season, but the biggest wildcard could be his ability to hit three-point shots.

As a Freshman, Mitchell converted on 19-54 attempts from downtown. This is already a respectable clip, so the foundation is there. Mitchell especially demonstrated to be dangerous from the corners, making some timely shots from this spot throughout the season.

If Mitchell can increase the volume in which he is attempting and making these shots, it could add an entirely new dynamic to Duke’s offensive attack next season. While Mitchell would have certainly been selected had he declared for the NBA after his freshman season, it’s doubtful he would have gone in the first round. With an extra year of work and refinement, he is a prime candidate to make that jump over the next calendar year.

Home/Duke Blue Devils