NCAA Basketball: 5 NBA Draft declarers who should return to school

F Dillon Mitchell, Texas

Dillon Mitchell was widely viewed as one of the top members of the Class of 2022 when he arrived to Austin, automatically entering him into the conversation to be a one-and-done. But the wing should take another run with the Texas Longhorns.

Despite all the accolades and the impressive physical stature, the 19-year-old struggled during his first season in Austin. He started in every game, but averaged less than 20 minutes per contest and put up averages of 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

His poor offensive production – averaging only 3.1 shots per game no three-pointers – relegated him to the sidelines for critical stretches. According to ESPN, no college player drafted in the past three decades would have as low a usage rate as Mitchell.

That’s if he gets drafted. He seemed like a likely first round pick when the season began. While there are some mocks that still see him being selected in the second round, many more see him being left out of the festivities altogether.

Mitchell is still very young, so it’s not like his window is closing to make the most out of an NBA career. Even if he declares after next season and stays in the draft, he still won’t be old enough to drink during Summer League play.

His struggles went unnoticed by some because of how good Texas was throughout the season. With Rodney Terry taking full charge for the first time next season, Mitchell could be part of continued success for the Longhorns and restore some of his draft stock by working on his warts, like his shooting and scoring.