No. 8–Manchester Basketball | |
---|---|
Position | Forward |
League | Super League Basketball |
Personal information | |
Born | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | 12 March 1997
Nationality | American / Australian / Irish |
Listed height | 203 cm (6 ft 8 in) |
Listed weight | 106 kg (234 lb) |
Career information | |
High school | Buchanan (Clovis, California) |
College |
|
NBA draft | 2021: undrafted |
Playing career | 2021–present |
Career history | |
2021–2022 | BAL |
2022 | Gold Coast Rollers |
2022–2024 | Brisbane Bullets |
2023 | Śląsk Wrocław |
2024 | Ipswich Force |
2024–present | Manchester Basketball |
Career highlights and awards | |
Donovan James Mitchell (born 12 March 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Manchester Basketball of the Super League Basketball. Born in Australia, he grew up in the United States and holds an Irish passport. He played college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Santa Clara Broncos before playing professionally in the Netherlands, Australia and Poland.
Mitchell was born in Melbourne, Victoria, [1] [2] to American parents. [3] His parents met in Australia during the 1990s. [3] His father, Mike, was playing for the North Melbourne Giants in the Australian NBL in 1997. [4]
Mitchell grew up in Fresno, California, [5] and attended Buchanan High School in nearby Clovis, where he was a three-time first-team all-conference honouree with the basketball team. He was an all-state volleyball player at Buchanan. [1] [2]
Mitchell played his first two college basketball seasons for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. After playing in just four games as a freshman in 2016–17, [1] he appeared in 30 games as a sophomore in 2017–18, averaging 2.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. [1] [6]
On 30 April 2018, Mitchell transferred to Santa Clara. He subsequently sat out the 2018–19 season due to NCAA transfer regulations. [7]
As a redshirt junior in 2019–20, Mitchell played in all 33 games for the Broncos with 15 starts. He ranked third on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg) on 49.4 percent field goal shooting and was second on the team in both 3-point shooting (38.3 percent) and rebounding (5.2 pg). [2] On 29 February 2020, he scored a career-high 25 points against Portland. [8]
As a senior in 2020–21, Mitchell played in 18 games for the Broncos, starting five and averaging 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. [2] On 16 February 2021, he scored a season-high 16 points against Loyola Marymount. [2]
Coming out of college, Mitchell turned down an opportunity to play in Uruguay [9] to instead begin his professional career in Ireland playing for Templeogue in the Super League while undertaking a master's degree at Griffith College. [10] However, he left the team prior to making his debut after being lured to the Netherlands. [11]
On 15 October 2021, Mitchell signed with Dutch team BAL of the BNXT League. [12] In 22 games during the 2021–22 season, he averaged 16.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. [13]
In June 2022, Mitchell moved to Australia and joined the Gold Coast Rollers of the NBL1 North. [14] He helped the Rollers win the 2022 NBL1 North championship. [15] In 14 games, he averaged 18.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. [14]
Following the NBL1 North season, Mitchell joined the Brisbane Bullets of the Australian NBL for the 2022–23 season. [16] Following the Bullets' 0–4 start to the season, Mitchell was suspended for one game after being asked to leave training after having a difference of opinion with coach James Duncan over his role in the Bullets' offence. [17] [18] On 19 November 2022, he scored 21 points in a 90–82 loss to the Cairns Taipans. [19] For the season, he averaged 9.56 points, 4.56 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. [20]
Following the NBL season, Mitchell joined Polish team Śląsk Wrocław for the rest of the 2022–23 PLK season. [21] He helped the team reach the championship series, [22] where they lost 3–2. [23] He averaged 5.8 points in 22 games. [23]
Mitchell re-joined the Bullets for the 2023–24 NBL season. [20] On 20 December 2023, he was ruled out for the rest of the season with a hip injury. [24] He averaged five points in 15 games. [25]
In April 2024, Mitchell joined the Ipswich Force for the 2024 NBL1 North season. [26] In 16 games, he averaged 21.44 points, 6.38 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.13 steals per game. [27]
On 25 September 2024, Mitchell signed with Manchester Basketball of the Super League Basketball for the 2024–25 season. [28]
Mitchell is the son of Americans Mike Mitchell and Michelle Maher. His father played professional basketball in Australia and Europe while his mother played professional beach volleyball. [1] [2] His mother has Irish heritage through her grandparents. Through marriage, his father gained an Irish passport and played for the Irish national team. [3] His parents later separated. [3]
As a result of his Irish heritage, Mitchell also holds an Irish passport. [12] He too is eligible to play for Ireland, [3] which was touted as a possibility in 2021. [9]
Mitchell has two siblings, Jaiden and Myca. [1] [2] Myca played volleyball at Wake Forest and Howard. [29] [30]
In 2022, Mitchell played for two of the same teams his father also played for in the NBL, the Gold Coast Rollers and Brisbane Bullets. [31]
Greg Vanderjagt is an Australian professional basketball coach and former player. He played 10 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL) before entering the coaching ranks. He served as the head coach of the Brisbane Bullets in 2022–23.
Lucas Walker is an Australian basketball player for the Illawarra Hawks of the NBL1 East. He played 10 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL) between 2010 and 2020. He played college basketball for Montana State University Billings and Saint Mary's College of California before joining the Melbourne Tigers in 2010. After five seasons with Melbourne, he had stints with the Adelaide 36ers, Perth Wildcats, Cairns Taipans and Sydney Kings. He won an NBL championship with the Wildcats in 2017.
Lamar Patterson is an American professional basketball player who last played for the South West Metro Pirates of the NBL1 North. He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Thomas Lachlan Jervis is an Australian professional basketball player who last played for the Rockingham Flames of the NBL1 West. He played college basketball for Bevill State Community College and Troy University in the United States before debuting in the National Basketball League (NBL). He won two NBL championships with the Perth Wildcats between 2013 and 2016. After two seasons with the Brisbane Bullets, Jervis returned to the Wildcats in 2018 and won his third championship. He retired from basketball in 2019 but made a comeback in January 2021 to re-join the Wildcats. Jervis is also well known for his time spent in the State Basketball League (SBL) with the East Perth Eagles, having played for them every year between 2009 and 2016, helping them win their maiden championship in 2014.
Todd Blanchfield is an Australian professional basketball player for the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League (NBL). He began his NBL career in 2009 with the Townsville Crocodiles, where he played six seasons. Between 2015 and 2023, he played for Melbourne United (2015–17), Sydney Kings (2017–18), Illawarra Hawks (2018–20) and Perth Wildcats (2020–23). In 2017, he won a gold medal with Australia at the FIBA Asia Cup.
Matthew John Hodgson is an Australian professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Southern Utah University and Saint Mary's College of California before debuting in the National Basketball League (NBL) and playing for the Adelaide 36ers, Brisbane Bullets and Perth Wildcats.
Jeremy Paul Kendle is an American professional basketball player for the Al-Ittihad SC Aleppo of the Syrian Basketball League. He played three seasons of college basketball for Bellarmine University, becoming the only player in school history to be named to the NABC All-America Team two years in a row. He was also a key member of the Bellarmine Knights' 2011 championship-winning team, helping the school claim their first NCAA Division II National Championship.
Shaun Bruce is an Australian professional basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL). He began his NBL career in 2012 and has played for the Cairns Taipans, Brisbane Bullets, Adelaide 36ers and Sydney Kings. He helped the Kings win back-to-back NBL championships in 2022 and 2023.
Nathan Adam Sobey is an Australian professional basketball player for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Wyoming Cowboys before debuting in the NBL in 2014 for the Cairns Taipans. He was a member of the Australian Boomers team that won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Devondrick Deshawn Walker is an American professional basketball player for the Rockingham Flames of the NBL1 West. He played three years of college basketball for the Texas A&M–Commerce Lions between 2011 and 2014 before playing the first three seasons of his professional career in the NBA Development League. He later played in Italy, France, Australia, New Zealand and Latvia. In the NBL1 West, Walker is a two-time league MVP and a championship winner in 2022.
Harrison Michael Froling is an Australian professional basketball player. He had a two-year college basketball career in the United States playing for the SMU Mustangs (2016–17) and the Marquette Golden Eagles (2017–18). In 2018, he joined the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League (NBL) and earned NBL Rookie of the Year honours for the 2018–19 season. Froling's career was halted in 2023 when he suffered brain injuries after an assault.
Isaac Lewis White is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal for three seasons, before graduating and signing to play basketball in Australia professionally.
Jarred Bairstow is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played three seasons of college basketball in the United States for the Central Oklahoma Bronchos before returning to Australia and spending the 2016–17 season as a development player with his hometown Brisbane Bullets in the NBL. Between 2020 and 2024, he played one season with the Perth Wildcats and three seasons with the Tasmania JackJumpers. He returned to the Bullets in 2024.
Dillon Stith is an American-Australian professional basketball player for the Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Saint Vincent College before moving to Australia in 2015 to play in the Big V. After one season with the Melbourne Tigers, he played four seasons for the McKinnon Cougars between 2016 and 2019, winning Big V MVPs in 2017 and 2019 and leading the Cougars to the championship in 2019. He played two seasons with Melbourne United of the NBL between 2019 and 2021.
Samuel McDaniel is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Southeastern Community College and Louisiana–Monroe.
Deng Angok Deng is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player. He also plays for the South Sudan national team.
Mitchell Clarke is an Australian professional basketball player for the Reading Rockets of the English National Basketball League. He played five seasons with the Perry Lakes Hawks in the NBL1 West before joining the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) in 2021, where he spent two seasons with their extended squad. He played for the Bendigo Braves of the NBL1 South in 2022 before returning to the Hawks in 2023. After a season with the Reading Rockets of the English NBL, he re-joined Bendigo in 2024.
Rasmus Bach is a Danish-Australian former professional basketball player. Born in Denmark, Bach grew up in Australia and then attended high school in the United States. Between 2013 and 2018, he played college basketball for the Fort Lewis Skyhawks. He began his professional career in Denmark before joining the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian NBL in 2020. After a season with the Brisbane Bullets, he retired in 2023. Bach has represented the Denmark national team and holds an Australian passport.
Corey Shervill is an Australian professional basketball player for the Southern Districts Spartans of the NBL1 North. He played three seasons of college basketball in the United States for the St. Edward's Hilltoppers before joining the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL) in 2020, where he spent three seasons. In 2017, he won the SBL Most Improved Player Award while playing for the Lakeside Lightning.
Josh Bannan is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball in the United States for Montana before debuting in the NBL for the Bullets in 2023.