John Calipari, Tre Mitchell comment on Mitchell joining Kentucky's roster

Kentucky landed an important piece to the 2023-24 roster today in West Virginia transfer Tre Mitchell. The 6’9″ 225 lbs. power forward announced he is coming to Kentucky following his official visit, giving a young Wildcats roster invaluable experience. Over four years at three different schools (UMass, Texas, West Virginia), the Pittsburgh, PA native played in 102 career games, including 92 starts, totaling 1,398 points and 597 rebounds.

Mitchell joins a roster that includes seven freshmen, two sophomores, and a pair of super seniors. In a press release, he said he is ready to help lead the young Cats this season. That bonding begins at the GLOBL Jam in Toronto two weeks from Wednesday.

“Kentucky basketball and its fan base speaks for itself,” Mitchell said. “An opportunity to be a part of something like this doesn’t come around very often. Coach Cal is a Hall of Fame coach who understands the game and the players he wants to play for him, but it’s the lifelong relationships with his players that stood out to me the most. That only happens when you know someone cares about their players.

“My team and personal goals this year are one and the same, grow and win as much as possible,” Mitchell said. “With a young core, growth is on the horizon and it won’t hurt for these guys to have someone with experience in college basketball to lean on when they need it.”

Next chapter 💙 pic.twitter.com/bqZSpNdcc5

— Tre Mitchell (@tre_mitch33) June 26, 2023

Calipari: “I know this is a win for us and I believe this will be a win for him, too”

Last season, Mitchell averaged 11.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 47% from the field. He started 32 of 34 games for the Mountaineers and also totaled 61 assists, 28 steals, and 21 blocks. He averaged 17+ points per game in both seasons at UMass and 8.7 points per game in the 2021-22 season at Texas. Across his four-year college career, he averages 13.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He is Kentucky’s first grad transfer since Kellan Grady in the 2021-22 season.

Mitchell’s ties to John Calipari have been well documented. His stepfather, Tony Bergeron, is a dribble-drive disciple and coached Tyreke Evans, who went on to play for Calipari at UMass. Mitchell also played for the Basketball Stars of America AAU program, where Adou Thiero, Nate Sestina, and Jonny David also started their careers.

“Tre is from Pittsburgh and I’ve known him for years,” Calipari said. “This was a unique situation but as soon as he put his name in the portal, he was a player I knew we needed to pursue. He brings leadership, experience, size, and versatility and is a great fit for what we want to do. I know this is a win for us and I believe this will be a win for him, too. We are excited to have him as a part of our program.”

We all are. Here is a look at Kentucky’s roster with two and a half weeks until the GLOBL Jam. Four-star center Somto Cyril may still reclassify and join the team, but that move is not expected until after the trip to Toronto.

• Freshmen (7): DJ Wagner (CG), Justin Edwards (SF), Aaron Bradshaw (C), Robert Dillingham (SG), Reed Sheppard (CG), Jordan Burks (SF), Joey Hart (SG)
• Sophomores (2): Adou Thiero (CG), Ugonna Onyenso (C)
• Super-senior (2): Brennan Canada (PF), Antonio Reeves (SG)
• Grad (1): Tre Mitchell (PF)
• Walk-ons (3): Kareem Watkins (PG), Walker Horn (G), Grant Darbyshire (G)

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