Did some light digging on Mitchell, since it appears he could be the key to everything. Based on what we've seen lately, he could be one of those excellent overall freshmen who doesn't have any one outstanding skill but can't be kept off the court, due to surprisingly great awareness/IQ/always-in-the-right-place quality, plus the athleticism to make it all work.
If Mitchell can shoot like freshman Justise Winslow, even just as a fluky result of his circumstances at Duke (having two great passers in the backcourt to get him the ball in the right spots would help), it would make the potential Duke clutch lineup the best in the country, possibly on par with the best death lineups we've seen over the years.
Pack (45% 3pt)
Roach (40% 3pt)
Whitehead (???? 3pt)
Mitchell (40% 3pt)
Lively/Filipowski (35% 3pt)
would be the inevitable clutch lineup if Duke can get Pack onboard, as I don't think Lively and Filipowski on the court together is going to prove to be viable in high leverage defensive situations against decent coaching. I also don't think that combo is going to be very good offensively, but that's more arguable/LIPO.
Anyway, this all led me to look at Mitchell's HS stats, which look much more promising from the shooting perspective than I was expecting. His HS stats from last season are here:
https://kchighschoolhoops.com/player.php?player=2377&season=7
Accuracy
78% 2pt
44% 3pt
80% ft
Selection
18% 3pt attempt rate
31% ft attempt rate
Obviously it's difficult to gauge anything without having a full understanding of the level of competition, usage rate, etc., but 80% ft accuracy translates no matter what, and it was on good volume.
I couldn't find his current season HS stats in less than two minutes, so I stopped trying. I did find this article which gave partial season stats:
https://www.theseasonticket.com/news_article/show/1198163
Through nine games Mitchell has been on a tear with No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy (KS)
Mitchell has the ability to score with his back towards the basket or facing up. He can put the ball on the floor and break a defender down then use his length to finish at the rim.
Mitchell is shooting 46% from the field and 85% percent from the free throw line.
STATISTICS: 18.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.0 SPG
The 46% from the field is much lower than his 71% fg the prior year (granted, at a different school), which may raise concerns, but it's actually encouraging to me in that maybe it reflects more volume from 3. Who knows. Anyway, 85% ft continues to look great and should translate to Duke.
Mitchell seems likely to force his way into the starting lineup and get all the important minutes by season end. My hope is that it wouldn't be part of a big lineup that also includes both Lively and Filipowski. I believe landing Pack would preclude the big lineup from entering Scheyer's mind.