Missouri transfer Mark Mitchell committed to Kentucky on Saturday to bolster a Wildcats squad that Mark Pope has been steadily building. Mitchell will likely start at the 4 in Lexington. If nothing else, he will likely take on a big rotational role with a sleeping giant.
Mitchell had 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in CoMo last season. His stats slowly climbed as his efficiency went up and down for three years until a career-high campaign in shooting efficiency in 2025-26 (54.7% on FGs).
247Sports national analyst Travis Branham told the Lexington Herald-Leader that Mitchell is prone to playing up his strengths and not taking risks.
“He’s a really versatile forward that does a lot of the small things to impact winning," Branham said. "He’s a big forward. He’s really mobile. He covers ground. He’s versatile defensively. He’s a good rebounder. He’s really smart. He’s tough. He’s not a good shooter, but he’s an effective slasher who uses his body well and has really good touch around the rim. At the end of the day, he has his limitations, but he’s aware of his limitations and plays to his strengths really well. That drives winning."
That makes Mitchell a strong fit in a highly expensive lineup featuring the high-usage Zoom Diallo and sharpshooting Milan Momcilovic, not to mention the giant pivot rotation of six-foot-11 Franck Kepnang and seven-foot Ousmane N’Diaye.
Mitchell chose Kentucky in the days following Jaxon Kohler's snubbing of the Cats for BYU. While Mitchell's eligibility is not fully settled amid the NCAA's larger legal battles against the 2022 high school class, it has been, for now, granted in a Kentucky courtroom.
Donovan Dent lands at LSU as Will Wade continues rebuilding Tigers
UCLA transfer Donovan Dent committed to LSU in a coup for Will Wade. The Bayou Bengals have now added both of the Bruins' starting guards from a season ago after Skyy Clark committed to Wade a few weeks ago.
LSU basketball has four players who have officially been cleared currently listed on the roster, but the university and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry are doing everything possible to give Wade's program and Lane Kiffin's football team a competitive edge. There's a slim chance the Tigers aren't vastly improved in 2026-27, so it's a safe bet that Dent and the other late portal additions will suit up.
Dent had 7.6 assists per game last season at UCLA after becoming more of a facilitator. During Dent's New Mexico career, he was a 20-plus-point-per-game scorer.
He'll now be relied upon to be a staple for Wade's typical guard-led, fast-paced offense. Wade was aggressive in bringing on Dent this summer to nab that final piece. He got his man on Friday.
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