bono

100% bandwagon UNT fan here, and I am having one of those mornings where I cant concentrate at work due to the building excitement for a basketball game tonight. In past years this feeling has occurred for teams such as Baylor and Texas, the Mavs, Rangers, and Cowboys. But TONIGHT North Texas has a chance to make a statement. and I will be honest, I want Tony Mitchell to personally make a statement to the nation. Chris Jones is a real player as well. One Dallas bball insider told me he was the steal of the 2011 class in Texas. He looks like it so far. LSU over Marquette raised the stakes. UNT can benefit from that with a big W tonight at the SUPER PIT. LETS GO MEAN GREEN!!

I know he didnt start - and I was very surprised. I hope he starts at LSU. either way I hope he is able to play closer to 30 mins as opposed to 20 excellent debut nonetheless

He will start. If not I will be shocked Remember he was ranked ahead of perry jones iii, arguably best player in big 12

Great article - thanks It wasn't a lifelong dream. He committed to kansas st early and I believe that is the connection to the prep school in Florida. He opened his recruitment again and in the fall of 2009 they decided on Missouri due to the coaching staff there (Anderson/Watkins). It was his desire to play there following HS, but after a semester of waiting on the NCAA they finally ruled him ineligible December 2010. He then enrolled at unt. There was no long time Missouri tie, it was the coaching staff that drew his commitment. I cannot wait to watch tony back in action. Big day!

I don't know much about the rest of the teams in the Sun Belt honestly, but i will still take a shot. I am very familiar with Tony Mithchell's game, and I have also seen Chris Jones and Jordan Williams a decent bit. I know a lot about the rest but have not seen them much. The first few games will be very interesting, as UNT has some quality opponents but will be without Tony. I expect for Tony to play vs LSU, and that will be the best test for the full team. I would not necessarily "expect" but at least hope to go to the NCAA tourney. Jones has a strong track record and UNT will have the best player in the league in the tourney, surrounded by other quality talent. Once a team is in the NCAA tourney anything is possible. I don't know that anyone can expect anything, just get in and hope to make a run. In summary - I think 20 wins and NCAA might be optimistic to some with so many new players, but is a reasonable goal. It is not easy to win any tourney, but UNT has a good a chance as anyone in the Sun Belt imo.

Rivers is an excellent player but he isn't 6'8 230. I was not aware of the UNT/Abron recruitment story. Just giving honest observation related to that top freshman list. I am not the biggest Ark fan but I think Ark will be very good this season.

my most underrated freshman goes to Devonta Abron at Arkansas. Not listed but has great size and skill, and I think he helps Arkansas this season (26 pts in a recent Ark scrimmage, though he did have 5 turnovers). Some will think it's crazy but I personally would have taken Abron over LB Nash if I had to pick. I think he is that underrated.

nice to see him listed, but that is entirely too low IMHO. For one, he is definitely better than LB Nash. Dont get me wrong - Nash is a fine talent - but Tony is a much better overall player at this point in time. SEE: Tony Mitchell 25 pt, 20 reb, 6 block performance as Pinkston beat Lincoln (and Nash) in OT in Texas HS playoffs in spring 2010 Any guard listed should be below Tony, including Rivers. There just arent as many big men out there, much less with guard skills like Tony. Tony should be top 5 on that list minimum, but people simply have not seen him play enough, and somehow he did not get nearly the publicity as guys like Kanter/Selby last season, even with a very high national ranking. I have not seen one writer who comprehends Tony's ability level yet, but rest assured the NBA scouts are well aware. He is currently listed as #12 pick for 2013 on nbadraft.net. And again, as someone who saw Tony play 30+ games in AAU, fall league, and his senior year at Pinkston - I think even that is too low. But before the hype machine gets too out of control, he does have to suit up and prove it on the court. I am very confident that Tony will exceed expectations this season and really shock people, but time will tell.

I think tony is certainly capable of playing point fw. As the espn article stated he can play all over the floor. Espn was speaking defensively but I think he has the offensive skills to help handle and break the press. I'm not sure how much all those guys have played together honestly. I don't worry about too much of an adjustment period tho. I think tony is so good his impact will be tremendous regardless and I'm confident johnny jones and staff will have them ready and on same page by lsu

2:10 shows why he's a freak w guard skills at 6'8 probably 230 now. You can see how he dunks w authority whenever he can but can handle and shoot it like a guard. Lsu is going down....and a sun belt title. I believe jones knows what he has and will maximize Tonys amazing abitlity with a great supporting cast. Chris jones is a real player too btw

this is actually blocked at my work but I think this is the right link. This is from 2009 at Pinkston vs Waco HS. Watch closely and see how Tony just dunks on the big Waco HS kid and he falls down kinda...he was 6'11 I think

I am not sure how grade postings work, but I was told by a very good source that the plan was for December 18 to be his first game.

Hello UNT fans. I just registered and can't wait for the season - particularly when Tony Mitchell is eligible. I had the pleasure of knowing and helping to coach Tony when he went to Pinkston HS. I had been involved over there before Tony showed up, and was lucky enough to help out while he was there as well. I can tell you that he is a fantastic young man and it is a shame that he had to sit out a year. Of course that resulted in his enrolling at UNT and the time is approaching for him to suit up again. When it comes to basketball there no other way to put it - Tony truly has a very rare combination of athletic ability, skill, and work ethic/coachability/humility. He has the size of an NBA big man and attacks the rim with authority. He also has guard skills when he needs to, and I have seen him size someone up on the dribble and drain a 3-pointer many times. I travelled to the Texas Jamboree in November of 2009 and it was simply one of the most dominating performances I have seen at any level of basketball. Tony was NBA ready 2 years ago according to some Dallas bball insiders. I would agree with that. I could go on and on but I will be back to add more as the season approaches. Here is an article from 2009 - keep in mind Tony will be 2 years bigger, stronger, more skilled, etc. He may have been ruled ineligible by the NCAA, but he has worked out hard and played on Team USA U18 and U19, and was the leading rebounder and shot blocker even though he played limited minutes. 2 years ago at a top HS event in Texas: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=4699976 Standout players Tony Mitchell, PF/SF (6-8, 215) Mitchell was simply terrific, displaying high-level athletic ability on both ends of the floor. He finished around the basket with power dunks on clear paths and in traffic. He rebounded at rim level in and out of his area on a consistent basis. Mitchell also is an excellent ball handler for his size and is great pushing the ball after pulling down a defensive rebound. He is a threat to go coast to coast if not brought under control by the transition defense. When Mitchell was not looking into the rim on one of his many dunks, he hit the midrange jumper with needed time and space. He also posted smaller defenders and elevated over them with ease to score in the lane. Mitchell can run the floor like a gazelle, and on defense, he has the speed, quickness and lateral movement to guard the 2, 3 or 4 position. He must add strength and work to extend his shooting range, but this live-body forward will keep Tigers fans on their feet with his high-wire act. He was by far the best player this weekend.

assuming all goes well grade-wise (which is expected, he did very well his spring semester) Tony will be playing his first game December 18th.