All-SEC forward Mark Mitchell has reenrolled at Missouri and will no longer attend Kentucky, his agent, Brandon Mitchell of BAM Sports and Entertainment, told ESPN on Monday.
Mitchell had initially committed to Kentucky last weekend, but the SEC’s opposition to intraconference transfers outside of a sport’s designated transfer window would have led to a legal fight in the coming weeks.
He was granted a temporary restraining order earlier this month by a Kentucky judge, allowing him to begin playing a fifth year of college basketball. The 6-foot-9 forward, however, did not enter the transfer portal during the designated window in April, putting his name in only following the judge’s decision. As a result, Mitchell and Kentucky would have had to fight the SEC on its transfer rules. Instead, Mitchell will return to the program that helped turn him into one of the best forwards in the country.
After spending his first two seasons at Duke, Mitchell transferred to Missouri to suit up for Dennis Gates. Mitchell earned third-team All-SEC honors in 2024-25 after averaging 13.9 points and 4.7 rebounds before truly breaking out as a senior last season. He averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists, being named second-team All-SEC and guiding the Tigers to their second straight NCAA tournament appearance.
With Mitchell in the fold, Gates could have his best team as a head coach. The Tigers have one of the most loaded rosters in the country on paper with a group that also includes two five-star freshmen, a returning double-figure scorer and four power-conference transfers.
Missouri was No. 18 in ESPN’s most recent Way-Too-Early Top 25 update but will be knocking on the door of the top 10 after Mitchell’s return.
