Donovan Mitchell, a 6-foot-3 2015 combo guard from Brewster (N.H.) Academy, took in the UConn game on Saturday and watched as the No. 15 Huskies routed Eastern Washington, 82-65, in Bridgeport, Conn.
“UConn was great, the game was great,” he told SNY.tv. “The atmosphere was great. A lot of people who were sitting around me were telling me I should go to UConn.”
Mitchell said former UConn big man Jake Voskuhl pitched him.
“Jake Voskuhl was talking about UConn,” Mitchell said. “He was saying one thing he did learn was [former] Coach [Jim] Calhoun said if you want to get to the NBA this is the place to be.”
He said the staff told him he could slide into the backcourt after Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright leave.
“I would be used like [Coach Kevin Ollie] is using them,” he said.
UConn offered Mitchell last year and he says they remain high on his list.
“I would say they’re definitely still up there with everyone else,” he said. “I really don’t have favorites.”
He currently holds offers from Iowa, Providence, Boston College, Cincinnati, Creighton, Maryland, UConn, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Fordham, Florida and Marquette with interest from Kansas.
In the meantime, Mitchell is still recovering from an ankle injury and hopes to get back on the court soon. He worked out briefly on Sunday.
“It’s doing pretty well,” he said. “Mentally I’m not 100 percent. But I have a whole week till we go back [to school].”