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Q&A: Jr Steffon Mitchell Has Big Season As Gophers Interest and Recruitment Picks Up
Q&A: Shakopee Junior Steffon Mitchell Has Big Season As Gophers Interest and Recruitment Picks Up
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/489819?referrer_id=388419
Steffon Mitchell, a 6-foot-7 junior forward from Shakopee (MN) High, made the College Basketball News and Star Tribune All-Metro first teams after averaging 24.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He has helped lead the Sabers to a 23-7 record and a spot in the Class AAAA semifinals after an opening 64-53 win over Roseville in the first round Wednesday.
Mitchell started out slow, missing all six shots from the field in the first half as he has just two points at the break. However, he made 7 of 11 shots in the second half as he finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
Mitchell caught up with Gopher Hole after their win to talk about the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, a big win for you. How pleased are you with how well you have played this season?
Steffon Mitchell: I am very pleased with our defensive game, but offensively, we are a streaky team. We can play really well. We can play mediocre and one half, really good. Another half, really bad. Tonight, I thought that we did an okay job.
Gopher Hole: Like you said, you didn't start off great, you were 0 for 6 from the field, but you had to feel that you were going to pick it up. How pleased were you with your play in the second half?
Steffon Mitchell: Overall, I thought that my game was okay. I knew that I could have gotten better. Instead of fading away to my right, I knew that I should have faded away to my left, because I had an easier bank shot and everything else
Gopher Hole: I think that you have six offers right now (Furman, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, South Dakota, American and Central Michigan). What other schools are you hearing from?
Steffon Mitchell: I am hearing from a lot of Big Ten schools. Pac 12, Stuff like that.
Gopher Hole: What Big Ten schools?
Steffon Mitchell: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and a lot of mid major schools across the country.
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to go to many college basketball games this season?
Steffon Mitchell: Not a lot of college games, because I play during the season and my dad is a girl's coach, so we really don't have time unless it is on the weekend or really late at night.
Gopher Hole: What games have you attended?
Steffon Mitchell: I went to Northern Iowa for their game against Wichita State, It was a good atmosphere. I went to the Minnesota game against Rutgers. I went to the Minnesota game against Furman and that is about it.
Gopher Hole: That game was kind of nice since you are being recruited by both schools. What was that experience like being at the Gopher games?
Steffon Mitchell: It was pretty fun. I was at the game during the break, so it wasn't terribly packed, but it was still a pretty fun game.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Gophers?
Steffon Mitchell: They are at quite a few games. They will be at a lot of games this summer, too. I have already been down to the locker room, talked to Coach Pitino and stuff like that.
Gopher Hole: You have some good offers already. What are you going to need to show during the AAU season that you can get those bigger schools to offer you a scholarship?
Steffon Mitchell: I have a different role on my AAU team than I do here. Here, I stay around the post area, but in AAU, I am one of the point guards and bring it up and breaking people down, but with our team, we don't really have 6-8 or 6-9 guys like we do on my AAU team, so I have to work on my post game and stuff like that to help us win games.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that shows that you are a little bit more versatile player than you get to show with your high school team?
Steffon Mitchell: Yes, but any team that is interested in me will come to my AAU games and see what else I can do.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to play Division I basketball?
Steffon Mitchell: It would be pretty fun. It has always been my dream to play Division I basketball.
Gopher Hole: How much having your dad, who is a basketball coach, has helped your love of the game?
Steffon Mitchell: I think that is the main thing. He helped me at a very young age. How to get my shot right. How to play defense. Everything that I am today is a big part of what my dad did.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to maybe have the chance to play for the home state school?
Steffon Mitchell: I think that would be pretty fun. My dad and my family would love for me to come back and stay home and some of my friends, too. They would love to come and watch a game or two.
Q&A: Shakopee Junior Steffon Mitchell Has Big Season As Gophers Interest and Recruitment Picks Up
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/489819?referrer_id=388419
Steffon Mitchell, a 6-foot-7 junior forward from Shakopee (MN) High, made the College Basketball News and Star Tribune All-Metro first teams after averaging 24.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He has helped lead the Sabers to a 23-7 record and a spot in the Class AAAA semifinals after an opening 64-53 win over Roseville in the first round Wednesday.
Mitchell started out slow, missing all six shots from the field in the first half as he has just two points at the break. However, he made 7 of 11 shots in the second half as he finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
Mitchell caught up with Gopher Hole after their win to talk about the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, a big win for you. How pleased are you with how well you have played this season?
Steffon Mitchell: I am very pleased with our defensive game, but offensively, we are a streaky team. We can play really well. We can play mediocre and one half, really good. Another half, really bad. Tonight, I thought that we did an okay job.
Gopher Hole: Like you said, you didn't start off great, you were 0 for 6 from the field, but you had to feel that you were going to pick it up. How pleased were you with your play in the second half?
Steffon Mitchell: Overall, I thought that my game was okay. I knew that I could have gotten better. Instead of fading away to my right, I knew that I should have faded away to my left, because I had an easier bank shot and everything else
Gopher Hole: I think that you have six offers right now (Furman, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, South Dakota, American and Central Michigan). What other schools are you hearing from?
Steffon Mitchell: I am hearing from a lot of Big Ten schools. Pac 12, Stuff like that.
Gopher Hole: What Big Ten schools?
Steffon Mitchell: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and a lot of mid major schools across the country.
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to go to many college basketball games this season?
Steffon Mitchell: Not a lot of college games, because I play during the season and my dad is a girl's coach, so we really don't have time unless it is on the weekend or really late at night.
Gopher Hole: What games have you attended?
Steffon Mitchell: I went to Northern Iowa for their game against Wichita State, It was a good atmosphere. I went to the Minnesota game against Rutgers. I went to the Minnesota game against Furman and that is about it.
Gopher Hole: That game was kind of nice since you are being recruited by both schools. What was that experience like being at the Gopher games?
Steffon Mitchell: It was pretty fun. I was at the game during the break, so it wasn't terribly packed, but it was still a pretty fun game.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Gophers?
Steffon Mitchell: They are at quite a few games. They will be at a lot of games this summer, too. I have already been down to the locker room, talked to Coach Pitino and stuff like that.
Gopher Hole: You have some good offers already. What are you going to need to show during the AAU season that you can get those bigger schools to offer you a scholarship?
Steffon Mitchell: I have a different role on my AAU team than I do here. Here, I stay around the post area, but in AAU, I am one of the point guards and bring it up and breaking people down, but with our team, we don't really have 6-8 or 6-9 guys like we do on my AAU team, so I have to work on my post game and stuff like that to help us win games.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that shows that you are a little bit more versatile player than you get to show with your high school team?
Steffon Mitchell: Yes, but any team that is interested in me will come to my AAU games and see what else I can do.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to play Division I basketball?
Steffon Mitchell: It would be pretty fun. It has always been my dream to play Division I basketball.
Gopher Hole: How much having your dad, who is a basketball coach, has helped your love of the game?
Steffon Mitchell: I think that is the main thing. He helped me at a very young age. How to get my shot right. How to play defense. Everything that I am today is a big part of what my dad did.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to maybe have the chance to play for the home state school?
Steffon Mitchell: I think that would be pretty fun. My dad and my family would love for me to come back and stay home and some of my friends, too. They would love to come and watch a game or two.
