After cutting his list from 10 to five schools, Brewster (N.H.) Academy guard Donovan Mitchell took his first visit to Villanova on Monday and said he was “blown away.”
“This was my first time, and to be honest it surprised me a ton,” he told CityofBasketballLove.com. “It was just amazing, it blew me away for sure. The coaching staff, like I told you, was great; all welcoming. The academics, the academic counselors and everyone I saw were just so welcoming. And the facilities are great, and the arenas, both were just amazing. I could see myself playing there.”
Mitchell said he’s impressed by Villanova’s reputation for producing quality guards. They also remain in the final five for Roselle (N.J.) Catholic guard Isaiah Briscoe.
“It’s really refreshing to know that a school like that produces guards,” Mitchell told COBL.com. “As a recruit, you want to go to a school that helps and develops what you do, and that’s what Villanova does. They play as many as four guards, Coach [Jay] Wright kept telling me. So it definitely plays to my strengths and it’s a great fit I think.”
Next up for Mitchell is a visit to Louisville on Thursday-Friday. The Cardinals have made Mitchell a priority in 2015.
“I talk to Coach [Rick] Pitino a bunch, and Coach [Mike] Balado, Coach [Wyking] Jones, and they see me as both a ‘1’ and a ‘2,'” he told COBL.com. “Which evidently allows me to play more and contribute more to the team. And I feel like just being at a school like Louisville is great; a big school that everyone loves their basketball, and I feel like that’s a great opportunity for myself.”
Mitchell is also considering Boston College, Florida State and Providence.
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