Forget the glue. It’s time to bring out the concrete when discussing Stevie Mitchell.
Just two short months ago, questions swirled about whether head coach Shaka Smart needed to swap a struggling Mitchell out of the starting lineup. A hamstring injury then kept him out for four games in December, and there was real concern that it was the type of injury that could linger—especially problematic for a player built on energy and quick-twitch defense.
Those “issues”— in quotes because many of the concerns were projected frustration at trying to fix what seemed like a broken offense—now seem laughable. Not only has Mitchell returned to the starting lineup fully healthy, he’s also playing the best basketball of his career for a Marquette team that has desperately needed his contributions.
His latest effort came in Saturday afternoon’s win over Seton Hall. With Kam Jones limited to just five minutes with a sprained ankle—and team already thin on backcourt depth with Chase Ross and Sean Jones out—Mitchell did a little bit of everything. Like he always does.
We’ll start with the possession king. With apologies to Posh Alexander, there isn’t a better perimeter defender in the Big East. Mitchell’s 4.7% steal rate is 18th in the country, and he’s improved to 5.1% in Big East play (that leads the conference, something he also did a year ago). He racked up five more steals on Saturday afternoon, giving him 21 steals in his last eight games dating back to Texas. It’s come at a time when Marquette has been without its most impactful defensive wing in Ross, who could be back in the next week or so recovering from a separated shoulder. Mitchell is the backbone of a Marquette defense now ranked 13th in the country in efficiency.
But possessions work two ways. While Mitchell is creating them on the defensive end, he’s also maintaining them on the other. Mitchell didn’t record a turnover on Saturday, his fifth such effort over his last seven games since returning from injury. That may not feel ultra-important considering Mitchell also has just five assists in that span, but he’s been asked to take on a larger role with increased usage and has answered the bell. Mitchell ranks second in the Big East with a minuscule 5.8% turnover rate (he finished second last season, too).
As we near the three-month mark of the college basketball season, Mitchell is the only player in the country with a steal rate of 4% or better and a turnover rate below 10%. He creates possessions. And then he maintains them better than any player in the country.
Again, it would have been fair a month ago to put some asterisks on his numbers. Low usage, hovering around 20 minutes per night, and typically the fourth or fifth option on offense. But with Ross and Sean Jones out (and Kam Jones on Saturday), Mitchell is playing more minutes than ever before. Whether that’s out of necessity for a thin bench or simply because he’s been so good, Mitchell is averaging 30.6 minutes per game since returning from the hamstring injury; that’s up from 20.0 minutes pre-hamstring injury and 23.4 minutes from a season ago. The 36 minutes on Saturday were a career-high, topping his old record of 35 minutes set a week ago at St. John’s.
“The 36 minutes is impressive for him because Stevie playing one minute requires the energy of a normal player playing three minutes. Him playing 36 minutes is like a normal person playing over a hundred minutes, I’m serious,” Smart said. “What this guy does is not human from a standpoint of both ends of the floor and the relentless energy that he brings, and the relentless energy he gives to his teammates.”
He’s an all-world defender. He takes care of the ball. But Mitchell has been much more than a stopgap filling holes for an injured Marquette team. The last seven games have also marked the best scoring stretch of his three-year career.
His 13 points on Saturday were a season-high, topping the 12 points he had scored each of the last two contests prior to the Seton Hall game. He’s averaging 9.2 points since returning from the hamstring injury, including double-digit games in four of his last five. The even better news? Mitchell is finding the right spots to attack and finishing when he’s there.
Beginning with a 4 of 6 effort in last month’s loss at Seton Hall, Mitchell is shooting 56% from the field, including 60% from two. In addition to the freebies he gets off steal-and-breakaways, Mitchell has been crafty around the rim and rarely takes a mid-range jumper. Consider that he’s shooting 62% from the inside the arc this season compared to Kam Jones’ 56% and Tyler Kolek’s 55%, albeit on a lower volume.
No one’s going to confuse him with Joplin from beyond the arc, but it’s notable that Mitchell has knocked down 7 of 17 3-point attempts (41.1%) since returning from injury. He’s come a long way since beginning the season 1-for-14 from deep, and even turning him into a serviceable 3-point shooter unlocks another feature to Marquette’s improving offense.
Let’s also not overlook the fact that the scrappy Mitchell is second on the team in offensive rebounds (20), with nine coming in his last seven games from the hamstring injury. On Saturday afternoon, Mitchell recorded two more offensive rebounds, scoring himself on both.
Mitchell has established himself as a leader in his third year. He’s the calming presence floor, a motivator in practice, a 4.0 student in the classroom, and an absolute animal from the moment he steps on the floor, all 94 feet of it.
Oso Ighodaro continues to make a push for Big East Player of the Year. Tyler Kolek is the face of the program. Kam Jones is capable of dropping 25 in the blink of an eye. But Marquette’s ceiling reaches a new high if Mitchell can maintain this run he’s currently on. He’s the ultimate glue guy, but he also may be something more than that.
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