Tasmin Mitchell

Last updated
Tasmin Mitchell
Tasmin Mitchell.jpg
LSU Tigers
Position Assistant coach
League Southeastern Conference
Personal information
Born (1986-06-25) June 25, 1986 (age 37)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school Denham Springs
(Denham Springs, Louisiana)
College LSU (2005–2010)
NBA draft 2010: undrafted
Playing career2010–2016
Position Small forward / power forward
Coaching career2019–present
Career history
As player:
2010–2011 Erie BayHawks
2011 Quebec Kebs
2011–2012 Hapoel Holon
2012–2013 Triumph Lyubertsy
2013–2014 Maccabi Rishon LeZion
2014–2015 Champagne Châlons-Reims
2015–2016 JSF Nanterre
As coach:
2019–presentLSU (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player:

Tasmin Olajuwon Mitchell (born June 25, 1986) is an American basketball coach and former professional player, currently serving as an assistant coach for the LSU Tigers. A five-star prospect in high school, Mitchell had a successful career at Denham Springs High School, being named first-team All-State for four years and he was a first-team Parade All-American and McDonald's All-American after his senior season in 2005. He committed to play for LSU and he stayed with the Tigers for a total of five years, having missed one season due to injury, and reached the NCAA tournament Final Four in 2006. He ended his career at LSU in 2010 as the third-best scorer of all time with 1,989 total points. After going undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft, Mitchell played professional basketball in France, Israel and Russia.

Contents

High school career

Mitchell was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and grew up in nearby Denham Springs, in the Livingston Parish area. [1] Since his freshman year at Denham Springs High School, playing as a center, [1] he gained recognition at state and national level, [2] being selected as a first-team All-State and All-District and named Livingston Parish MVP. [1] In 2002 ESPN named him National Freshman of the Year. [3] He again received all-state honors in his sophomore season, [1] and in 2003 he participated in the ABCD Camp, a camp for the best high school players in the United States, and won the Underclassmen co-MVP award with Brandon Rush after a 20-point, 12-rebound performance in the Underclassmen All-Star Game. [4]

By his junior year in 2004, Mitchell was regarded as one of the best juniors in the nation, and one of the top players of the 2005 class. [5] [6] [7] [8] That year, basketball magazine Hoop Scoop named him the second-best player in the 2005 class behind Martell Webster and ahead of players like Lou Williams or Monta Ellis, [9] while Rivals.com named him the no. 1 player of his class. [10] Mitchell averaged 24 points per game in his junior season, [11] and for the third year in a row he was selected in the All-State and All-District first team, Livingston Parish MVP, [1] and he was also selected in the Parade All-America Fourth Team. In 2004 he also participated in the USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival, a camp organized by USA Basketball for the best players in the nation. [12]

Mitchell's senior season at Denham Springs saw him average 26.9 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3.5 blocks and 2.3 steals per game, [1] shooting 67% from the field, [13] and he received multiple awards and honors. He was named Louisiana Mr. Basketball, [14] Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year, first-team All-State and All-District, Livingston Parish MVP, [1] and he was selected in the Parade All-America First Team, being named a McDonald's All-American, an ESPN Rise All-American, [15] and being selected to play in the 2005 Roundball Classic. [14] In the 2005 McDonald's game, which was played in South Bend, Indiana, he scored 6 points, shooting 3-of-5 from the field, [16] and added 1 rebound in 13 minutes of play. In the 2005 Roundball Classic Mitchell scored 17 points and had 3 assists and 1 steal playing for the West team. [17] Rivals.com ranked Mitchell as the 20th-best player in the nation and the fourth-best small forward in the class of 2005, [18] while other services ranked him as high as the fifth-best player in the nation: the Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI) has him ranked as the eighth-best player of the 2005 class. [19] In 2015 he was inducted in the Denham Springs High School Hall of Fame. [20] [21]

Recruiting

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeightCommit date
Tasmin Mitchell
SF
Denham Springs, LA Denham Springs High School 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)235 lb (107 kg)Sep 1, 2004 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 5 stars.svg     Rivals: 5 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 8   Rivals: 15
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "LSU Commit List for 2005". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
  • "Men's Basketball Recruiting". Scout.com. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
  • "College Basketball Recruiting Schools". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
  • "2005 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2011-07-14.

College career

Mitchell was being recruited by LSU since his junior season, and he committed to play for the Tigers in early September 2004 [18] after narrowing his choice between LSU and Kentucky. [7] He chose to wear jersey number 1, and as a true freshman he was selected as a starter by coach John Brady, playing 34.4 minutes per game (2nd on the team behind senior guard Darrel Mitchell): [22] he averaged 11.4 points (4th on the team), 5.6 rebounds (3rd behind Glen Davis and Tyrus Thomas) and 2.8 assists (2nd behind Darrel Mitchell); he recorded three double-doubles during the season, and he was named SEC Freshman of the Week after recording 19 points and 12 rebounds against Southern on November 18, 2005, the first game of the season. [1] Mitchell played 36 games in his first season (all starts), and was named Player of the Game for LSU in the losing effort against UCLA during the 2006 Final Four (12 points and 6 rebounds). [1] [23] At the end of the season he was named in the SEC All-Freshman team. [1]

Mitchell was again a regular in LSU's starting lineup for his sophomore season, and played 34.1 minutes per game (3rd on his team), averaging 14.5 points (the second-leading scorer behind Glen Davis), 5.9 rebounds (again second to Davis) and 1.8 assists (4th), ranking 12th in the whole conference for scoring average and 13th for rebounding average. [1] [24] Mitchell's junior season ended after 3 games due to a shin fracture and ankle injury that required surgery; [25] [26] he was granted a medical redshirt and missed the rest of the season. [1]

After Mitchell took his junior season off, recovering from the injury, he came back to LSU in 2008. Newly appointed coach Trent Johnson kept Mitchell in the starting five, moving him to the power forward position. [1] Mitchell was the second-best scorer on his team behind senior guard Marcus Thornton at 16.3 points per game and was the leading rebounder with 7.2 rebounds per game. [27] He ranked 8th in the SEC in scoring and 11th in rebounding, and shot a career-high 52.2% from the field (52.6% from three). On February 11, 2009 he scored 41 points in 49 minutes (double overtime) against Mississippi State, the first LSU player to score more than 40 points since 1995. [1] On February 28, 2009 he scored the game winner against Kentucky, making LSU the SEC regular season winner. [1] At the end of the season he was named in the All-SEC First Team and in the NABC All-District Second Team. [1]

Mitchell initially declared for the 2009 NBA draft, but he later withdrew his name and decided to come back to LSU for his fifth and final season in college basketball. [25] Before the start of the season, Andy Katz of ESPN.com included Mitchell in his list of possible John R. Wooden Award nominees for the 2009–10 season. [28] Mitchell retained his starting role for the fifth consecutive season, and he led the team in scoring (16.8), rebounding (9.4) and steals per game (1.3). [29] On December 14, 2009 he recorded his career high for rebounds in a game with 18 against Southeastern Louisiana; on January 20, 2010 Mitchell scored 38 points (a conference high) against Auburn. [1] He ranked 4th in the SEC for scoring and 3rd for rebounding, and led the conference in minutes per game with a career-high 37.3. [1] At the end of the season he was named in the All-SEC Second Team, the NABC All-District First Team, and he received the Pete Maravich Award for the best player of the state of Louisiana. [1] His 1,989 career points rank 3rd all-time in LSU history behind Pete Maravich and Rudy Macklin, while his 950 rebounds rank him 6th all-time. [1] [20]

College statistics

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2005–06 LSU 363634.4.444.295.7415.62.81.50.511.4
2006–07 LSU 323234.1.466.376.7505.91.81.10.814.5
2007–08 LSU 3322.0.333.000.8005.72.02.30.37.3
2008–09 LSU 353432.5.522.526.7257.21.91.60.716.3
2009–10 LSU 313137.3.433.340.7299.41.91.30.516.8
Career13713634.2.465.345.7366.92.11.40.614.5

Professional career

After the end of his last season at LSU, Mitchell was automatically eligible for the 2010 NBA draft, but he was not selected by an NBA franchise. He joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2010 Las Vegas Summer League, playing 5 games (1 start) and averaging 5.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 20.5 minutes of playing time. Mitchell signed with the Cavaliers on September 27, 2010 but was waived on October 13, 2010; [30] he then joined the Erie Bayhawks of the NBA D-League. In the 2010–11 NBA Development League season Mitchell averaged 16.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 33.1 minutes, starting 20 of his 50 games. He ranked first in the D-League for total fouls with 191, and at the end of the season he was selected in the All-Rookie Second Team. [31] In March 2011 Mitchell played for the Quebec Kebs of the Premier Basketball League. [32]

After leaving the Kebs, Mitchell signed for Hapoel Holon in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, and in 25 regular season games he averaged 14.9 points and 6.5 rebounds in 31.7 minutes per game during the 2011–12 season. His team reached the playoffs, and Mitchell averaged 16.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game during postseason play. In 2012 Mitchell signed for Russian team Triumph Lyubertsy, and played 14 games in the Russian Basketball Super League 1 and 20 in the VTB United League. That season he also had the chance to debut in an international competition, and appeared in 12 games of the 2012–13 Eurocup, averaging 12.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. [33]

In 2013 Mitchell moved back to Israel and signed for Maccabi Rishon LeZion. During the 2013–14 Super League he averaged 13.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 29 games, and he was named a member of the International team for the 2014 Israeli All-Star game. In 2014 he left Israel for France and joined Champagne Châlons-Reims in the LNB Pro A, the top level of French basketball. In the 2014–15 Pro A season Mitchell averaged 10.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in 30 appearances, averaging 28.9 minutes per game. In 2015 he joined JSF Nanterre, another Pro A team, and averaged 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. He also played during the 2015–16 Eurocup, averaging 7.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. [33]

Coaching career

In 2017 Mitchell was named Director of Student-Athlete Development at LSU under head coach Will Wade; in May 2019 the Tigers announced his promotion to assistant coach. [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Cowens</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1948)

David William Cowens is an American former professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), he played the center position and occasionally played power forward. Cowens spent most of his playing career with the Boston Celtics. He was the 1971 NBA Rookie of the Year and the 1973 NBA Most Valuable Player. Cowens won NBA championships as a member of the Celtics in 1974 and 1976. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. Cowens has also held coaching positions in the NBA, CBA, and WNBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Pettit</span> American former basketball player and coach (born 1932)

Robert E. Lee Pettit Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965). In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award and he won the award again in 1959. He also won the NBA All-Star Game MVP award four times. As of the end of 2022-2023 regular season, Pettit is still the only regular season MVP in the history of the Hawks. Pettit is the leader for most career rebounds (12,849), and most rebounds per game with 16.2 in Hawks franchise history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Bass</span> American basketball player (born 1985)

Brandon Samuel Bass is an American former professional basketball player.

Denham Washington Brown is a Canadian former professional basketball player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giorgi Shermadini</span> Georgian basketball player

Giorgi Shermadini is a Georgian professional basketball player for Lenovo Tenerife of the Spanish Liga ACB and the Basketball Champions League. He was born in the village of Natakhtari, Georgia on April 2, 1989. He is 2.17 metres tall, and he plays at the center position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnum Rolle</span> Bahamian basketball player (born 1986)

Magnum Rolle is a Bahamian former professional basketball player who last played for the Nakhon Pathom Mad Goat of the Thailand Basketball League. Born in Freeport, Bahamas, Rolle did not play basketball until his freshman year of high school and was taught by his coach at St. George's High School, Darrel Sears. After his senior year at St. George's, Rolle transferred to the Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina, where he was an integral part in leading the team to an undefeated record and the national prep school championship. He was considered a five-star prospect out of Laurinburg, and committed to play at Louisiana State University (LSU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darnell Lazare</span>

Darnell Lazare is an American former professional basketball player currently working as a player development coach for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for LSU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Mitchell (basketball, born 1989)</span> American basketball player

Tony Mitchell is an American professional basketball player for Beirut Club of the Lebanese Basketball League. He played college basketball for the University of Alabama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudy Gobert</span> French basketball player (born 1992)

Rudy Gobert-Bourgarel is a French professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for the Utah Jazz who acquired him during the 2013 NBA draft. Gobert also represents the French national team in their international competitions. Standing at 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall with a wingspan of 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) long, he plays the center position. He is considered one of the NBA's best rim protectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tremont Waters</span> Puerto Rican basketball player

Tremont Waters is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the LSU Tigers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Sampson</span> American basketball player

Brandon Sampson is an American professional basketball player who last played for Hapoel Be'er Sheva of the Ligat HaAl. He played college basketball for Louisiana State University (LSU).

Aaron DeVon Epps is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the LSU Tigers, and has played overseas in France and Italy.

Charles Wayne Gaines is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Anhui Dragons of the Chinese National Basketball League. He played high school basketball in his native city of Houston, and he spent two years at Southwest Missouri State in the MVC before transferring to Southern Miss, where he played his two remaining years of college basketball eligibility. After going undrafted in the 2004 NBA draft, he started his professional career in the Continental Basketball Association with the Michigan Mayhem, leading the league in rebounding. After several years in Europe, one year in the NBA D-League and one in Israel, Gaines moved to the Chinese Basketball Association. While in China he earned an All-Star selection, was the 2011 scoring champion, and he twice led the league in rebounding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skylar Mays</span> American basketball player

Skylar Justin Mays is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the LSU Tigers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmitt Williams</span> American basketball player

Emmitt Mack Williams V is an American professional basketball player for the Piratas de La Guaira of the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto (SPB). He played college basketball for the LSU Tigers.

Walter Roderick Sellers is an American former professional basketball player. He played at Wilson High School in his native Florence, South Carolina, and played college basketball at UConn, where he was an all-conference performer in his senior year in 1992. After going undrafted in the 1992 NBA draft, Sellers opted not to sign for the Grand Rapids Hoops, which had selected him first overall in the CBA draft, and instead went to Europe, starting his professional career with Greek side AEK Athens. Sellers spent his whole career in Europe, playing in Greece, France, Italy, Spain and Turkey: he appeared in three Euroleague seasons and in 1999 he was the FIBA Saporta Cup Finals Top Scorer. In his 14-year career he has won 1 French league, 2 French cups, 1 Italian Supercup and 1 Semaine des As.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darrel Mitchell</span> American basketball player

Darrel Joseph Mitchell Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. He played high school basketball at St. Martinville Senior High School in St. Martinville, Louisiana, and was named Louisiana Mr. Basketball as a senior in 2002. He then played college basketball with the LSU Tigers, staying for 4 years and reaching the NCAA Tournament Final Four in 2006. After going undrafted in the 2006 NBA draft, Mitchell started a professional career in Europe with Turkish team Galatasaray. He participated in the 2007–08 Euroleague with Lithuanian team Lietuvos rytas. He has played in Belgium, Cyprus, France, Lithuania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.

Marco Bernard Killingsworth is an American former professional basketball player. He played in three3 different high schools in Alabama, spending his senior year at Central Park Christian Academy, where he was one of the top players in the nation in the class of 2001. He went on to play three years of college basketball at Auburn, and then transferred to Indiana where he played his senior year. He went undrafted in the 2006 NBA draft and started his professional career in Europe with Turkish team Darüşşafaka. He has played several years in Israel, where he earned three All-Star selections. Throughout his career he has played in Estonia, France, Israel, Italy, Puerto Rico, Russia, South Korea, Turkey and Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cam Thomas (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 2001)

Cameron Bouchea Thomas is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the best shooting guards in the 2020 class. He is the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 points in three straight games. He played college basketball for the LSU Tigers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tari Eason</span> American basketball player (born 2001)

Tari Jordan Eason is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats and the LSU Tigers. Eason was selected 17th overall in the 2022 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Tasmin Mitchell". lsusports.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  2. "ALL-SOUTHERN TEAM". The Orlando Sentinel . April 28, 2002. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  3. Flores, Ronnie (May 18, 2011). "All-time underclass POYs". ESPN.com . Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  4. "HOT RECRUITING INFORMATION FOR JULY 2003". Hoop Scoop. July 13, 2003. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  5. Hilliard, Larry (December 24, 2003). "All-state tandem eager to test skills against nation's best". The Gaffney Ledger . p. 10.
  6. "Lanier's Rhodes hopes to make best of showdown". Clarion-Ledger . January 19, 2004. p. 23.
  7. 1 2 Huguenin, Mike (July 24, 2004). "CALLING UCF POTENTIAL 'DYNASTY' A BIT ABSURD". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  8. Rosetta, Randy (July 23, 2014). "Former LSU star Tasmin Mitchell is still chasing his basketball dream". nola.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  9. "HOOP SCOOP'S RANKING OF THE NATION'S TOP 400 JUNIORS (CLASS OF 2005)". Hoop Scoop. February 20, 2004. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  10. "Prepped for the NBA?". The Record . July 11, 2004. p. 131.
  11. "2004 All-State basketball". Rivals.com. 2004. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  12. "USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival All-Time Roster By College Affiliation". usab.com. October 23, 2012. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  13. "2005 All-State Basketball teams". Rivals.com. 2005. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  14. 1 2 Fambrough, Robin (April 3, 2005). "Tasmin Mitchell: 2005 Mr. Basketball". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  15. "2005 EA SPORTS Boys All-America Team". Rivals.com . Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  16. "The Next 48 are up" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 30, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2020. 2005 game and rosters at page 86.
  17. "2005 How they did and where they went". roundballclassic.net. Archived from the original on April 13, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  18. 1 2 "TASMIN MITCHELL". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  19. "Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI) Rankings - 2005". Basketball-Reference.com . Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  20. 1 2 2017-18 LSU Men's Basketball Media Guide, 2017, p. 15.
  21. "Denham Springs High School Athletic Hall of Fame". The Advocate . August 2, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  22. "2005-06 LSU Fighting Tigers Roster and Stats". sports-reference.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  23. "UCLA vs. Louisiana State Box Score, April 1, 2006". sports-reference.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  24. "2006-07 LSU Fighting Tigers Roster and Stats". sports-reference.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  25. 1 2 Katz, Andy (June 8, 2009). "Mitchell set to see more minutes as 3". ESPN.com . Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  26. "Season likely over for LSU's Mitchell due to surgery". ESPN.com. November 27, 2007. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  27. "2008-09 LSU Fighting Tigers Roster and Stats". sports-reference.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  28. Katz, Andy (August 14, 2009). "Wooden Award candidates … with a twist". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  29. "2009-10 LSU Fighting Tigers Roster and Stats". sports-reference.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  30. "Cavaliers Waive Cedric Jackson and Tasmin Mitchell". NBA.com . October 13, 2010. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  31. "NBA D-League Announces 2010-11 All-League Selections". NBA.com/DLeague. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 13, 2011. Archived from the original on November 8, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  32. "EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 3/8/2011". Eurobasket.com . March 8, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  33. 1 2 "MITCHELL, TASMIN". euroleague.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  34. Embody, Billy (May 29, 2019). "Tasmin Mitchell hired by LSU as assistant coach". 247Sports.com . Retrieved December 12, 2019.