NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 13 in 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
8. Ajay Mitchell (UC Santa Barbara)
A native of Belgium, Mitchell has spent the last three seasons proving himself, though the fair-weather college basketball fan likely doesn’t follow the action at UC Santa Barbara. He showcased his ability from the beginning and has developed into the Big West’s best point guard. This past junior season alone was a phenomenal effort, perhaps establishing himself as one of the best point guards at the mid-major level.
Taking another leap forward, Mitchell would average 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game for the Gauchos while making 39% of his 3-pointers. He earned First Team All-Big West honors yet again and put up even better figures a year after winning the conference’s Player of the Year. His scoring and assist numbers were impressive, though the Gauchos finished just 7th in the league, ending the season with a 16-15 mark.
Mitchell played great throughout the season, though he really stood out on a few distinct nights. He scored 39 points in a tough loss at UC Riverside right before New Year’s and had 37 at the end of regular season play in a win at Long Beach State. He didn’t go down without a fight, with 36 points and 9 rebounds in the Gauchos’ season-ending loss to Cal State Northridge in the conference tournament. What will be next for Mitchell and will it be in the Big West or at the professional level?