Three hundred sixty-nine.
That’s the number of days senior forward Mickey Mitchell was kept out of ASU’s lineup due to back injuries starting early last season.
The injuries came as an unfortunate setback to Mitchell’s career, with this season being his last. Although Mitchell has experienced the struggles of adversity, he has also reaped the rewards of being a champion, winning the 2014-15 UIL 6A State Championship while at Plano West Senior High School in Texas during his senior year.
The team featured D.J. Hogg and Tyler Davis — both of whom made the G League, the NBA's development league — to complement Mitchell’s unselfish style of play.
“I had been playing with those guys since I was in the sixth grade,” Mitchell said. “The transition was easy. It was fun, practices were intense, we competed just like every other team, but it was a cool experience playing with those guys.”
Anthony Morgan, Mitchell’s head coach at Plano West, immediately knew Mitchell was a special player that had lots of potential even beyond the high school level.
“I saw him do some incredible things through the course of the year with all the guys,” Morgan said. “Developing that chemistry through the course of them growing up through our program and the summer … it was really something to watch. It was a fun group to coach, there was a lot that we were able to do on the court.”
The Orlando-born guard was instrumental in helping Plano West winning that state championship. He averaged 9.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game while leading the Wolves to a 33-2 record in the 2014-15 season.
“He is definitely the best playmaker that I’ve been around,” Morgan said, comparing Mitchell to other great that have played at the school like Davis, Hogg, Soso Jamabo, Avery Johnson Jr. and others.
Mitchell didn’t have as much luck at the beginning of his collegiate career, but he did see action in 23 games with Ohio State in his freshman season. After his first year at OSU, Mitchell transferred to ASU and began his career with the Sun Devils.
Following an improved season when he became eligible to play for ASU, Mitchell was held to just six games in 2018-19 due to back injuries that put a halt on his NCAA career.
“For me, (I am) just trying to get that back from being out over a year,” Mitchell said. “It’s been tough, but it’s getting there every game. I feel a lot better with myself and what I know I can do.”
The year hiatus may have stopped Mitchell from playing, but it didn’t interrupt his will to keep his head in the game, ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said, adding that Mitchell brings a "warrior mentality" to the team.
“I think everyone has so much respect for what he’s been through and what he’s had to go through with his physical injuries," Hurley said. "(We) are happy that he’s been able to have some success and more importantly do it injury-free and not in significant pain."
Mitchell's return to the team came on Dec. 11, 2019 against Prairie View A&M. Although he only recorded three minutes of playing time, being able to rejoin the lineup and continue playing gave Mitchell a heavy amount of confidence moving forward.
“I think just me fighting through obstacles and overcoming my back and sitting out for so long,” Mitchell said. “Especially when I’ve had doctors tell me that I probably wasn’t going to play this year.”
While his long-awaited resurgence to the ASU program has come and gone, Mitchell now has his mindset on the future; doing everything he can to make ASU a better, more well-rounded and efficient team.
Mitchell can do his part, he said, by improving his game and developing as a player.
“I don’t just want to be good at one thing,” Mitchell said. “I want to try to be my best at everything and just bring a lot to the team whether its energy, defense, rebounding, whatever it is.
"That’s how I was raised to play the game and that’s how I am going to keep playing.”
As a former high school state champion and now an injury-free forward, Mitchell continues to keep pushing forward through his hardships.
"It’s been a fun ride. Just getting to this point, (I’ve) been through a lot of ups, a lot of downs," Mitchell said. "I’ve had to keep my head up and just fight through things."
But Mitchell does not give himself all the credit for his return to basketball after the injury.
"I haven’t done it by myself," he said. "My family, my friends, my coaches, and teammates helped me get through it, it’s been a blessing just to where I am now.”
Reach the reporter at aklatsky@asu.edu and follow @averyklatsky on Twitter.
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