Kentucky gets much-needed frontcourt help in West Virginia transfer Tre Mitchell
In what has been a roller coaster ride of an offseason for John Calipari and Kentucky, the Wildcats finally received some welcomed news this past week.
West Virginia grad transfer Tre Mitchell announced Monday that he is heading to Lexington to conclude his college career with the Wildcats. The 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward averaged 11.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this past season for the Mountaineers and will add 102 games of college experience to the fold.
This development comes after the strange saga surrounding sharpshooting wing Antonio Reeves, who was in the transfer portal after testing the NBA Draft waters and unsure of whether he would suit up again for Kentucky, but then moved into his dorm last week.
What does the addition of Mitchell and the return of Reeves mean for the Wildcats?
It cannot be overstated enough that as great as it is for Calipari and his staff to usher in the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, you can no longer be solely reliant on one-and-done freshmen to win in college basketball in today's current climate. Experience is a common thread among every recent NCAA Tournament champion.
In addition to bringing experience and leadership to Lexington, Mitchell gives Kentucky another much-needed option on the interior with five-star freshman center Aaron Bradshaw dealing with a foot fracture that could keep him out for the start of the season.
Bradshaw has refuted initial reports of the timeline surrounding his injury, suggesting that he’s on a 4-6 week recovery, so that’s something worth monitoring. In a Q&A with FOX Sports, Calipari raved about Bradshaw, as well as incoming five-star prospects Justin Edwards, DJ Wager and Robert Dillingham.
In the SEC, which is tracking to have four or five teams ranked in the preseason Top 25, there will be no shortage of tests against NCAA Tournament-caliber competition.
The arrival of Mitchell will help alleviate the pressure that Edwards and Bradshaw will face in their first season. The Wildcats will also welcome back big man Ugonna Onyenso, but the 6-11 sophomore is widely unproven after appearing in only 16 games last season while averaging 6.9 minutes per contest.
Reeves should also help address a major question mark surrounding this Kentucky team with his 40% shooting clip from deep to go along with 14.4 points per game last season.
While there are additional questions surrounding how Dillingham and Wagner will handle the backcourt workload, those things were never going away regardless of the news surrounding Mitchell and Reeves.
For an offseason that looked bleak two weeks ago, things have appeared to turn around for Calipari and the Wildcats, who have the potential to be a threat come March if the pieces can come together.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter at @John_Fanta.
