Ajay Mitchell
Ajay Mitchell (born 25 June 2002) is a Belgian basketball player. He played college basketball for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. He currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was selected in the 2024 NBA Draft
| Oklahoma City Thunder | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 25 June 2002 Ans, Belgium |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | UC Santa Barbara (2021–2024) |
| NBA draft | 2024: 2nd round, 38th overall pick |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Playing career | 2019–present |
| Career history | |
| 2019–2021 | Limburg United |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and career
Mitchell grew up in Ans, Belgium.[1] He began playing for Limburg United's youth team in 2019 and made two appearances with the senior team in the Pro Basketball League during the 2019–20 season.[2] Mitchell played solely with the senior team during the 2020–21 season while maintaining his amateur status. After the season, he committed to playing college basketball for UC Santa Barbara.[3]
College career
Mitchell played in 27 games during his freshman season and was named the Big West Conference Freshman of the Year and second team All-Big West after averaging 11.6 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game.[4] He averaged 16.3 points, 5.1 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game and was named the Big West Player of the Year during his sophomore season.[5]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | UC Santa Barbara | 27 | 23 | 32.1 | .531 | .327 | .750 | 2.2 | 3.7 | .8 | .2 | 11.6 |
| 2022–23 | UC Santa Barbara | 35 | 35 | 33.8 | .506 | .267 | .813 | 2.7 | 5.1 | 1.3 | .3 | 16.3 |
| 2023–24 | UC Santa Barbara | 29 | 29 | 31.5 | .504 | .393 | .858 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 1.2 | .4 | 20.0 |
| Career | 91 | 87 | 32.5 | .511 | .332 | .818 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 1.1 | .3 | 16.1 | |
Personal life
Mitchell's father, Barry Mitchell, played college basketball at Norfolk State and professionally in the Continental Basketball Association and World Basketball League before playing and settling in Belgium.[3]
References
- "Ajay Mitchell quitte Limburg pour Cal State Santa Barbara". La Dernière Heure (in French). 22 June 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- "Des Liégeois sans ressort écrasés à Limburg". L'Avenir (in French). 31 January 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- "Belgian basketball star commits to play for UCSB". Santa Barbara News-Press. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- "Mark Patton: Ajay Mitchell Can Now Talk the Talk with UCSB Basketball". Noozhawk. 4 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- "UCSB Sophomore Ajay Mitchell Honored as Big West Basketball Player of Year". Noozhawk. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.