2024 NBA Draft: Former UMass Star’s Tre Mitchell and Sean East II Shine
Missouri traveled to Rupp Arena to face off against Kentucky in what set to be the biggest test of the year for the Tigers. They fought hard, but in the end, the Wildcats took the win as they won 90 to 77. The top players for each team were Sean East II for Missouri and Tre Mitchell for Kentucky, and interestingly enough both teamed up their freshman year at UMass.
This season, East has taken a massive leap for this Tigers squad. After losing the only three guys on the roster last year to average double-digit points in Kobe Brown, D’Moi Hodge and DeAndre Gholston, they needed someone to take a big leap in the scoring department. That just so happened to be East, who went from coming off the bench essentially every game last season to being a full-time starter with the keys to the offense this season.
East averaged seven points per game last season and is now averaging 17 this season, while also being much more efficient from the field and from three. Against Kentucky, he was showcasing his creativity and craftiness with the ball as he consistently found ways to get to the rim. When he got blitzed, doubled or when defenders over-helped, he was able to make the advanced read to find the open teammate. He was a starter in his freshman year for the majority of the season next to his former teammate Mitchell. Both of these young players at the time were looked at as the future of UMass basketball but both players had plans to play higher up in college basketball and are now starting at their respective SEC schools.
Mitchell looked like Kentucky’s best player as he started off the gates hot with two 3-pointers and a tough pull-up mid-range jumper. In three of his last four games, Mitchell has dropped a double-double showcasing his toughness on the glass and ability to score the ball. He’s a super skilled 6-foot-9 big man who can stretch it out to three, make mid-range jumpers, be an extremely smart passer out of the low post or short roll, and has some nice moves in the low post. He’s a major cog in the Kentucky offense and is a big reason why they are one of the best offensive teams in the entire country.
Both of these seniors are playing their final year in college basketball looking like they can make some serious noise when it comes to being looked at as a prospect. The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is a great place for underrated seniors to hear their name called on draft night, proven last year by Toumani Camara, who started out there and worked his way into being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers.
It’s awesome to see East and Mitchell start their collegiate careers together and both end it as one of the best players on their respective teams.
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