Makhi Mitchell records double-double against Old Dominion
Heading into the season, the No. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks (3-0) needed one of their big men to step up and play a key role throughout the year.
The Hoop Hogs may have found that big man tonight in their 86-77 victory over the Old Dominion Monarchs (1-2).
Makhi Mitchell — a fifth-year senior 6-foot-10 forward — totaled 15 points, a team-leading 10 rebounds, one assist and zero turnovers in 29:25 minutes of game action against the Monarchs.
"I thought he was awesome," head coach Eric Musselman said following the game. "The one shot he missed was his easiest look. It was the cleanest look he had all night and he missed it. Really happy that he went 6 of 7 and could have been 7 of 7. He didn’t force anything, had 10 rebounds."
In the Razorbacks' season-opening 93-59 win over Alcorn State, Mitchell played just 3:40 minutes and didn't record a single statistic other than a personal foul. Then, in the Hogs' most-recent 86-68 win against Gardner-Webb, Mitchell saw an uptick in production with five points, five rebounds and four blocks in 16:35 minutes.
"I mean, thank goodness for him and T-Mark defensive rebounding," Musselman said. "All of us in the room got as many defensive rebounds as everybody else on the team. We had two guys defensive rebound then a bunch of guys do what this room did, which none of us did anything — neither did anybody else defensive rebounding."
Last season, Mitchell averaged 20.1 minutes, 7.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists across 31 games. He scored in the double figures 10 times with his season-high being a 15-point performance against then-No. 18 Texas A&M to close out the regular season.
"This was Khi's best game," Musselman said. "This was Khi's best game in everything. This was his best game body language. This was his best game in timeouts and huddles. This was his best game with his teammates. This was his best game with the coaching staff, and then he played really well, too.
"Hopefully he can keep doing that. I thought from a maturity standpoint and really doing what we needed and doing it with really positive passion, he was really good tonight. Really good. Proud of him."
Mitchell's performance against Old Dominion is huge for the Hogs, who have been experimenting throughout the first two games of the season to figure out the ideal frontcourt rotations.
Forwards Chandler Lawson and Jalen Graham have each been given their opportunities, but Mitchell really stood out in an off-the-bench role for Arkansas on Monday.
"Just playing my minutes, embracing my role and just doing my job," Mitchell said after the game. "I can do that whenever I want. I just play my role."
Arkansas' leading scorer through three games with 55 points, guard Khalif Battle has been nearly unstoppable on the court. He spoke about Mitchell and the impact he's had on the team up to this point.
"I mean, Makhi is extremely talented," Battle said after the game. "There are so many guys on this team, it can be anybody’s night. You know what I’m saying? Not to discredit him at all. He’s a great player. Great scorer, and he can do that any time he wants to. With a team, a lot of the time you’ve got to play a role. Sometimes, because he does so many other things so well, people might not highlight how great he is as a scorer.
"He can do all the things on the court. He’s super talented. He’s tall. He can defend. He rebounds the heck out of the ball. Sometimes I be going for the ball and he pushes me out of the way to get the board. That’s my brother right here. He’s so talented. For him to be able showcase his full skillset tonight, I think he has even more in the tank he hasn’t shown everyone yet."
Up next, Arkansas will face the UNC Greensboro Spartans (1-0) on Friday inside Bud Walton Arena. The game is set to tip off at 7:00 p.m. CT and will stream on the SEC Network Plus.