BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The last time Alvin Mitchell encountered the Bearcats, he punished their defense for 16 points, including three three-point baskets. UC would like him to do that kind of damage on its behalf next season.
A 6-foot-1 guard from Omaha, Neb., Mitchell played against the Bearcats in the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic while with Nebraska in the 1996-97 season, but spent this past season at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa.
He is eligible to return to Division I, and UC is competing with Utah State and a handful of others to sign him to a letter of intent. Mitchell could make a choice by the weekend.
At Indian Hills, Mitchell was the point guard on a team that went undefeated and earned the NJCAA title. He was a teammate of Pete Mickeal, UC's top recruit this year.
"He's just a real solid, fundamentally sound basketball player," said Indian Hills coach Terry Carroll. "We played him at the point. He's a combo-type player who can score if he has to."
UC is looking for a long-range shooter to replace D'Juan Baker. Mitchell shot .504 (69-of-137) from three-point range last season.
Mitchell was ineligible as a freshman at Nebraska, but played as a sophomore. Heading to Indian Hills meant he could play a season in junior college and still have two seasons left in NCAA Division I. At Nebraska, he was stuck behind star Tyronn Lue and played extensively only during those three days in Puerto Rico, when Lue was injured. Mitchell averaged 10.7 points and 2.7 assists and was 5-of-9 from three-point range during the tournament.
For the season, he averaged 2.7 points and shot 9-of-30 on threes.
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