CHAMPAIGN — Jaylan Mitchell will, one day soon, be one of the youngest players on a college basketball roster. Likely a contributor as a freshman, too, if the five-star ranking he’s already acquired as one of the top Class of 2027 prospects in the country holds up.
Mitchell will have already put in the reps as the young guy on the court by the time his college career starts. It’s essentially all he’s done the last 17 months.
The Olney native was still finishing his eighth grade year at Helfrich Park Middle School in Evansville, Ind., when he started playing up an age group for Bradley Beal Elite on the Nike circuit in the spring of 2023. Then he starred as a freshman at F.J. Reitz High School before playing up an age group again for BBE this past spring and summer.
It’s been invaluable experience. Experience that’s already paid off, as Mitchell has thrived at every level — and on every stage — in the last year-and-a-half.
His list of accomplishments already includes MaxPreps Freshman All-American honors this past season, an E16 Peach Jam title this summer, the aforementioned five-star ranking and scholarship offers from Illinois, Arizona State, Missouri, TCU, Evansville and Southern Indiana.
“When I played up eighth grade, it was harder,” said Mitchell, who got in an unofficial visit to Illinois this past weekend. “I was a little bit more nervous. I wasn’t as vocal. I wasn’t as good of a leader. I made it a mission for the next Brad Beal season to make sure I was a vocal leader, and we won Peach Jam.
“Playing with older people, it’s preparing me for college. Playing with older guys, you have to find a role that lets you fit in. When I was playing with Brad Beal, I took a leadership role being the youngest guy. But I was the most vocal. I might not have shot the best, but I’m going to do what you need me to do.”
Mitchell averaged 13.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists for BBE during the E16 regular season this spring teaming up with a trio of Illinois recruiting targets in the Class of 2026 in Miikka Muurinen, Jashawn Andrews and Sheek Pearson. BBE’s Peach Jam title run came with Mitchell putting up a similar stat line of 12.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
The 6-foot-7, 190-pound wing was similarly versatile for Evansville Reitz. Mitchell garnered his All-American accolade after averaging 15.6 points, 8.2 rebounds. 3.9 assists and 2.2 steals.
That versatility is what first caught the attention of the Illinois coaching staff. His Illini offer came last summer, with Brad Underwood staying on trend of sending out his first offers in a recruiting class to in-state (or formerly in-state) prospects.
“I’ve been talking to them since eighth grade,” Mitchell said. “Coming from southern Illinois, I just grew up around (Illinois basketball).”
Mitchell said his focus heading into his sophomore season is refining his jump shot and continuing to work on his ball handling skills. Anything to amp up his versatility.
“I can play any position,” Mitchell said. “That’s what (the Illinois staff is) looking for is positionless people. I can play 1-5 — whatever you need. I feel like it opens up a lot. If you have a smaller guard on you, you have a mismatch. If you have a bigger defender on you, you can just blow by them. It opens up everything.”
That same versatility has made Mitchell a name to know in the Class of 2027. He’s one of 83 athletes from the 2025-28 classes in USA Basketball’s men’s junior national team October minicamp Oct. 11-13 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Only Northern Nash (N.C.) guard CJ Rosser and Blake (Md.) wing Baba Oladotun are higher ranked 2027 prospects expected to attend.
Mitchell is ranked fourth in his class by both Rivals and ESPN with five-star status. On3 has him as high as No. 2 — behind Rockwall-Heath (Texas) guard Ryan Hampton — but as a four-star recruit. No one has five stars in the class to date for On3.
“Rankings are cool to see where you’re at, what other people’s opinions are, but it doesn’t really matter once you get to college,” Mitchell said. “It’s all about work. That’s what I’m focused on is just work, work, work.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-16 13:00:00
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