In prolonging the pattern of prioritizing veteran, proven experience, Mike Rhoades and the new staff at Penn State has gained a commitment from graduate transfer guard RayQuawndis Mitchell.
Mitchell is coming off a career year at UMKC, in which he averaged 17.3 points, 3.8 boards, and connected on a team-best 79 three-pointers.
The unwavering commitment to the team concept and family environment of Penn State were enticing factors cited by Mitchell, a combination guard who will likely play off the ball alongside VCU transfer Ace Baldwin.
Though he had bouts of inconsistency last season, Mitchell is an eruptive scoring threat with a knack for piloting game-breaking onslaughts. He averaged 26.3 points during one three-game span. He turned in five games of five 3-pointers or more. Similar to another UMKC transfer which Penn State recently reached out to in point guard Shemarri Allen, Mitchell manufactures points at all three levels and brings an adeptness at drawing fouls and earning trips to the free throw line. He compiled five games in which he shot 10 games or more, including a 20-point showing in which he went 12-for-16 from the line during an 81-73 loss to the University of North Dakota.
An All-Summit performer under UMKC head coach Marvin Menzies, Mitchell was fifth in the conference in scoring and fourth in 3-pointers made per game. He is a well-traveled and seasoned grad transfer, having spent time at Illinois-Chicago, Idaho, and a brief foray into the JUCO ranks at Otero. The bounce back year in junior college helped revitalize his NCAA career, as he emerged into one of the most prolific scoring guards in the country.
At 6-foot-5, Mitchell has good positional size as a guard. He is an on-ball defender and also guards off the ball, utilizing his length to guard multiple positions this past season at UMKC.
The Nittany Lions have kept up with the current landscape of the NCAA, re-tooling a roster with battle-tested veterans. PSU recently received a commitment from Puff Johnson, a 6-foot-8 forward by way of North Carolina.
Once a highly coveted recruit out of national prep power HIllcrest Prep (AZ), a fair share of injuries stalled his progress with the Tar Heels. He does bring NCAA tournament experience, however, as he was a significant role player on the RJ Davis-led UNC team which pulled off a pulsating victory over rival Duke in a vintage Final Four classic last year.
They wound up falling to Kansas in the national title game, with Johnson popping off the bench to score 11 points.
Mitchell brings a presence in the perimeter game, which the Nittany Lions will need after losing three-point ace Andrew Funk and several other critical pieces from last year.
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