Duke Basketball Sophomore Soars in Return to Full Contact

Mark Mitchell's second Duke basketball campaign could leave opponents trembling.

Whatever the knee issue was that kept Mark Mitchell out of Duke basketball's season-ending loss to Tennessee in March and limited him in recent team workouts now looks to be entirely in the rearview mirror.

Last week's four-on-four scrimmage highlights from the program's practice facility did not include Mitchell, not to mention Kyle Filipowski (hip surgery), Christian Reeves (ankle surgery), and Jeremy Roach (toe).

But judging by the following tweeted clip from Duke basketball's official account on Monday morning, nothing is holding Mitchell back from appearing in the next batch of intrasquad scrimmage highlights. No, the 6-foot-9 athletic forward seems to enjoy his full spring and confidence in his legs again:

Easy's back! @Mark_mitchell25 pic.twitter.com/IKIrJRAiez

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) July 17, 2023

Plus, it's an encouraging sign that Reeves, a returning 7-foot-1 center with the potential to earn a spot in the regular rotation as a sophomore, is now taking part in these drills, albeit getting left in the dust by Mitchell's explosive first step in the above play.

At last week's Duke basketball summer media day, second-year head coach Jon Scheyer hinted that Mitchell and Reeves might be only days away from returning to these full-contact drills.

"Mark is right there," Scheyer said. "He's doing basically everything on the court. We're just trying to make sure before going full contact [with him]...Christian Reeves is getting close. He can do everything, except he hasn't played."

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Until sitting out the Tennessee game, Mark Mitchell was one of only two players, along with fellow rookie forward Kyle Filipowski, who had played and started every game for the 2022-23 Blue Devils.

Mitchell, a 19-year-old who might have gone as high as the late first round at this summer's NBA Draft had he bolted, averaged 9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 27.1 minutes per game last season.

And seeing that he's at full strength, with a year of experience and more muscle added to his frame, the former five-star McDonald's All-American from Kansas City figures to play a more prominent role this Duke basketball season.

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