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Tasmin Mitchell

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Tasmin Mitchell
Born (1986-06-25) June 25, 1986 (age 40)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupation(s)Basketball player, basketball coach
Years active2005–present
Known forFormer professional basketball player; assistant coach for LSU Tigers men's basketball team

Tasmin Olajuwon Mitchell (born June 25, 1986) is a former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the LSU Tigers. As a highly touted five-star recruit from Denham Springs High School, he earned first-team All-State honors throughout all four years of high school and was selected as a first-team Parade All-American as well as a McDonald's All-American in 2005. Mitchell committed to LSU, where he competed for five seasons—sitting out one due to injury—and played a key role in guiding the team to the NCAA Final Four in 2006. He concluded his collegiate tenure ranked third in LSU history with 1,989 career points. After going undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft, Mitchell embarked on a professional career overseas, playing in leagues across France, Israel, and Russia.

High school career

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and raised in nearby Denham Springs, Louisiana, located within Livingston Parish, Louisiana, Mitchell made an immediate impact at Denham Springs High School starting as a freshman. Playing primarily at center, he quickly garnered statewide and national attention by earning first-team All-State and All-District distinctions while also being named Livingston Parish MVP. In 2002, he was honored by ESPN as the National Freshman of the Year. Maintaining his high level of play, Mitchell repeated first-team all-state honors during his sophomore year and participated in the elite ABCD Camp, where he earned Underclassmen co-MVP honors following a standout performance with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

By his junior year in 2004, Mitchell was regarded as one of the top junior players nationally and among the premier prospects of the 2005 recruiting class. Hoop Scoop placed him second overall behind Martell Webster, while Rivals.com ranked him as the leading player in his class. Averaging 24 points per game, he secured first-team All-State and All-District recognition once again, repeated as Livingston Parish MVP, and was named to the Parade All-America Fourth Team. Additionally, he competed in the USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival.

During his senior campaign, Mitchell posted averages of 26.9 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3.5 blocks, and 2.3 steals per game while shooting an efficient 67 percent from the field. His outstanding performance earned him several honors including Louisiana Mr. Basketball, Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year, first-team All-State and All-District selections, Livingston Parish MVP for the third time, and placement on the Parade All-America First Team. He also participated as a McDonald's All-American, received ESPN Rise All-American recognition, and played in the 2005 Roundball Classic. In the McDonald's game, Mitchell contributed six points over thirteen minutes; during the Roundball Classic, he tallied seventeen points along with assists and steals representing the West squad.

According to Rivals.com rankings, Mitchell was listed as the twentieth-best player nationally and fourth-best small forward within his class; other recruiting services ranked him as high as fifth overall. The Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI) placed him eighth among prospects for the 2005 class. In honor of his high school accomplishments, Mitchell was inducted into the Denham Springs High School Hall of Fame in 2015.

College career

Mitchell attracted LSU's attention starting in his junior year of high school and ultimately committed in September 2004 after narrowing his options to LSU and Kentucky.[1] Wearing jersey number 1, he secured a starting spot as a true freshman under coach John Brady, averaging 34.4 minutes per contest, the second-highest on the squad. His freshman stats included 11.4 points per game (fourth on the team), 5.6 rebounds (third), and 2.8 assists (second), along with three double-doubles. His impressive debut earned him SEC Freshman of the Week honors.[2] Mitchell started in all 36 games that season and was recognized as Player of the Game during LSU's Final Four defeat to UCLA, concluding the year on the SEC All-Freshman team.[2]

In his sophomore year, Mitchell continued as a starter, posting averages of 14.5 points (second on the team) and 5.9 rebounds (also second), ranking within the SEC's top 15 for both scoring and rebounding.[2] His junior campaign was limited to just three games due to a shin fracture requiring ankle surgery, leading to a medical redshirt.[3][2]

Upon returning in 2008 with new head coach Trent Johnson, Mitchell transitioned to power forward. He became LSU's second-leading scorer at 16.3 points per game and led the team in rebounds with 7.2 per contest. He placed eighth in SEC scoring while achieving a career-best field goal percentage exceeding 52%. A standout performance included scoring 41 points in a double-overtime victory over Mississippi State, marking the first LSU player to surpass 40 points since 1995, along with a decisive game-winning shot against Kentucky that clinched the SEC regular season championship.[2] His accomplishments that year earned him spots on the All-SEC First Team and NABC All-District Second Team.[2]

Mitchell initially entered the 2009 NBA draft but later withdrew to return for his fifth collegiate season.[3] ESPN analyst Andy Katz identified him as a potential candidate for the John R. Wooden Award for the 2009–10 season.[4] He maintained his starting role, leading LSU in scoring (16.8 points), rebounding (9.4 boards), and steals (1.3) per game. Notable highlights from this season included an 18-rebound effort against Southeastern Louisiana and a conference-leading 38-point performance versus Auburn.[2] He ranked among the top four players in SEC scoring and rebounding, led the league in minutes played, and received All-SEC Second Team, NABC All-District First Team honors, as well as the Pete Maravich Award recognizing Louisiana’s premier player.[2] Over his collegiate career, Mitchell accumulated totals of 1,989 points and 950 rebounds, placing him third and sixth respectively in LSU’s all-time records.[2][5]

College statistics

|- | align="left" | 2005–06 | align="left" | LSU | 36 || 36 || 34.4 || .444 || .295 || .741 || 5.6 || 2.8 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 11.4 |- | align="left" | 2006–07 | align="left" | LSU | 32 || 32 || 34.1 || .466 || .376 || .750 || 5.9 || 1.8 || 1.1 || 0.8 || 14.5 |- | align="left" | 2007–08 | align="left" | LSU | 3 || 3 || 22.0 || .333 || .000 || .800 || 5.7 || 2.0 || 2.3 || 0.3 || 7.3 |- | align="left" | 2008–09 | align="left" | LSU | 35 || 34 || 32.5 || .522 || .526 || .725 || 7.2 || 1.9 || 1.6 || 0.7 || 16.3 |- | align="left" | 2009–10 | align="left" | LSU | 31 || 31 || 37.3 || .433 || .340 || .729 || 9.4 || 1.9 || 1.3 || 0.5 || 16.8 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 137 || 136 || 34.2 || .465 || .345 || .736 || 6.9 || 2.1 || 1.4 || 0.6 || 14.5 |-

Professional career

After going undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft, Mitchell participated with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2010 NBA Summer League, where he posted averages of 5.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across five contests. He secured a contract with the Cavaliers on September 27 but was released by October 13. Subsequently, he joined the Erie Bayhawks in the NBA D-League. Throughout the 2010–11 NBA Development League season, Mitchell averaged 16.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 33 minutes per game over 50 appearances, earning a place on the All-Rookie Second Team despite leading the league in personal fouls.

In March 2011, Mitchell signed with the Quebec Kebs competing in the Premier Basketball League. Following that stint, he moved to Israel to play for Hapoel Holon during the 2011–12 Israeli Basketball Super League, where he averaged 14.9 points and 6.5 rebounds during the regular season, increasing his scoring to 16.7 points in the playoffs.

Mitchell then transitioned to Russia in 2012, joining Triumph Lyubertsy and competing in both the Russian Basketball Super League and the VTB United League. He made his international debut in the 2012–13 Eurocup Basketball, registering averages of 12.3 points and 3.8 rebounds over twelve games.

Returning to Israel in 2013, Mitchell signed with Maccabi Rishon LeZion, where he nearly averaged 14 points and five rebounds per game throughout the 2013–14 Israeli Basketball Super League, earning selection to represent the International team at the Israeli All-Star game.

In France, Mitchell played for Champagne Basket during the 2014–15 LNB Pro A season, posting averages of 10.8 points and 5.4 rebounds across thirty games. The following year, he joined JSF Nanterre, contributing an average of 8.4 points per game and participating in the 2015–16 Eurocup Basketball, where he averaged 7.6 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Coaching career

Mitchell began his coaching career at LSU in 2017 when he was appointed Director of Student-Athlete Development under head coach Will Wade. In May 2019, he advanced to an assistant coach position. By 2022, Mitchell had been promoted to Assistant to the Head Coach, a post he continues to hold as of 2025.

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named rivals
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named lsu
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named draft
  4. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named guide15
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