AUSTIN - The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team suffered a major setback earlier this season when big man Tre Mitchell took an indefinite leave of absence, just before a matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Now, after entering the transfer portal on April 20, Mitchell has committed and signed with West Virginia, per an official release from the program Friday.
Mitchell will join legendary coach Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers in Morgantown, a team that had been trying to lure him since his entry into the portal. Iowa, DePaul, Vanderbilt, Utah State, and Washington State were other teams showing interest in the now ex-Texas forward.
Tre Mitchell
Tre Mitchell
Tre Mitchell
In the official announcement, Huggins shared how important the addition of Mitchell will be for the Mountaineers headed into the 2022-2023 season.
"Tre gives us a much-needed presence inside who we can throw the ball to," Huggins said. "He is a big-time Power 5 starter who is extremely experienced. Tre can score and rebound the basketball, and we are excited to get him here."
Before his leave of absence, Beard said that the reason for Mitchell's departure from the team was a personal matter.
“I’ve been in contact with Tre and his family consistently. He’s with his family now,” Beard told Brian Davis and the Statesman. “It’s a personal matter, and we support him completely.”
Tre Mitchell
Tre Mitchell
Tre Mitchell
Beard was also clear that Mitchell was not facing any disciplinary or legal action.
“Nothing like that,” Beard told the Austin American Statesman “We want to support Tre Mitchell the person.”
A first-year player for the Longhorns, the junior transferred to Texas after spending two years at Massachusetts, where he averaged 17.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and one block per game in his freshman season.
Mitchell improved those numbers in his sophomore season, averaging 18.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks.
With the Horns, Mitchell has been one of the most reliable pieces on the roster, scoring 8.7 points, to go along with four rebounds in 24 games (17 starts).
Texas secured a commitment to return from forward Timmy Allen on Wednesday, giving the Horns some stability in the front court in wake of Mitchell’s departure.
Mitchell joins a lengthy list of Longhorns to depart from the team this offseason, joining Devin Askew, Courtney Ramey, Andrew Jones, Jase Febres, and Dylan Disu, who could potentially make his return to the
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