"Then the fans and all that -- it was crazy." The moment stuck out to the 6foot-8, 210-pound forward and he would later commit to play basketball at K-State.
But a little more than a month ago, Mitchell's mother made the decision to de-commit him from the Wildcats.
Mitchell didn't find out until the next morning.
"She just wanted me to weigh my options out," he said.
Since then, Mitchell's recruitment has skyrocketed. He has received offers from Georgetown, Texas, Maryland and several others. Rivals.com now ranks the senior-to-be as a fivestar recruit and the No. 15 player in the nation for the class of 2010. Mitchell said his top four schools include Georgetown, K-State, Missouri and Arizona State. When asked if K-State still had a fighting chance, Mitchell replied "most definitely, they're in my top two, probably with Georgetown."
He has formed a close relationship with the K-State coaching staff, most notably assistant Matt Figger, who Mitchell said he still had to call Thursday night as they stay in close communication.
"I like them a lot. They helped me a lot with my success -- sending me to prep school," he said of the Wildcat staff. "I love those guys."
Mitchell said K-State coach Frank Martin has visited with his mother since she de-committed him and added that he hopes things get straightened out. Meanwhile, he said there's a good chance he may find his way back up to Manhattan for the Kansas game on Jan. 30, when the College Gameday crew visits.
As for now, he just wants to focus on getting better at his ball-handling and getting stronger. He has become a highly-touted recruit in recent months and he intends to remain one.
"I envisioned it because I worked hard at it to be up there at the top,"
he said. "I really want to be up there."
