Texas forward Dillon Mitchell announces decision to return to Longhorns for 2023-24 season

Texas forward Dillon Mitchell will withdraw from the 2023 NBA Draft and return to the Longhorns this coming season, he told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. News of his decision came just before the 11:59 p.m. ET deadline Thursday night.

Mitchell put up solid numbers this past year for Texas en route to a Final Four appearance, averaging 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 63.6% from the floor. He started all 38 games in which he appeared, but only averaged 17.4 minutes per contest. Now, he’ll have a chance to further develop this coming year with the Longhorns.

Mitchell’s lone double-double came in his second career game when he dropped 10 points and pulled down 12 rebounds against Houston Christian.

Mitchell played high school football at Spring Hill (FL) Montverde Academy, where he was a Five Star Plus+ prospect, meaning he was one of the only players ranked by all four major recruiting media companies as a five star. He was the No. 4 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

More on the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is set to take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Round 1 of the draft will be announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, while Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum is expected to handle the second round of picks.

To be eligible for the NBA Draft, players must be at least 19 years in age during the calendar year that the draft is held and at least one NBA season from their high school graduation date, or the date that would have been if they are not graduated. It is not required that player spend that one year playing college basketball, though. Players can play in either college, abroad, or the G League Ignite if they choose so.

While this is a significant change from what the rules once were, players are eligible to enter their names into the NBA Draft pool and explore their options by hiring an agent to go through the process, while still keeping their college eligibility. The deadline to make that move is on April 23 beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET.

The NBA Draft Lottery was held on May 16, which was also the start of the NBA Conference Finals. The San Antonio Spurs won the lottery.