ESPN ranks Tre Mitchell as 64th best transfer for 2023-24 season

It’ll be shocking if there are 63 better transfer prospects this coming season than Tre Mitchell. But that’s what the Worldwide Leader in Sports wants us to think.

According to ESPN staff writer Jeff Borzello, Mitchell is considered the 64th-best player from this offseason’s transfer portal for the 2023-24 men’s college basketball season. The 6-foot-9 stretch forward came over to Kentucky in late June by way of West Virginia as a result of the fallout from Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins resigning following a DUI.

At Kentucky, Mitchell will suit up for his fourth school in just five seasons. But his addition to this season’s roster was seen as a massive pickup for a team that needed some veteran experience in the paint. He’s already proven his value, too. During Kentucky’s four-game trip to Toronto, Canada for the 2023 GLOBL JAM earlier this month, Mitchell posted per-game averages of 14.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on shooting splits of 575./44.4/100.

Those aren’t the numbers of the 64th-best transfer in the country…

Granted, Mitchell’s impressive run up north came against inferior competition (think mid-major opponents instead of Power 5), but he was forced into an unfamiliar situation and shined anyways. Mitchell still hasn’t been with Kentucky for a full month yet and has roughly 10 practices under his belt with his new team. At GLOBL JAM, he was thrust into playing center with both of the Wildcats’ primary big men — freshman Aaron Bradshaw and sophomore Ugonna Onyenso — dealing with lower leg injuries.

Mitchell was excellent throughout all four games in Canada. He finished the event on a high note, posting the only double-double of the entire tournament for the Wildcats with a final line of 18 points (8-12 FG), 11 rebounds, and five assists in 36 minutes of action. His efforts helped power Kentucky to an 89-72 gold medal victory over Team Canada, capping off a perfect 4-0 week for the program.

Borzello’s updated transfer rankings (July 20) came after Mitchell’s run at GLOBL JAM. Looking at some of the names listed ahead of Mitchell, the Big Blue Nation is going to have a hard time believing he’s been ranked properly. If we were to remake this list based on the pure importance of that player landing at their respective school, he would likely be near the top. Mitchell is going to be a necessary piece for John Calipari this season.

Mitchell wasn’t the only familiar name on Borzello’s list, either. While he was the lone incoming transfer for Kentucky this offseason, there were a handful of players from last season’s roster that elected to go a different route. Point guard Sahvir Wheeler, now at Washington, is ranked No. 83 on ESPN’s list. Power forward Daimion Collins (LSU) and shooting guard CJ Fredrick (Cincinnati) were among the “next in line” group.