OSHKOSH — Oshkosh North basketball star Xzavion Mitchell is following in the path of his idol, former Spartan and current Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. Last week, Mitchell committed to the Iowa Cyclones, which featured Haliburton.
“He was excited about it,” Mitchell said of Haliburton. “He posted on Twitter and stuff about it. He’s my guy, I grew up watching him in elementary school.
Since his freshman season, Mitchell has averaged 20 or more points per game. However, he played at a completely different level this year, averaging 25 points and 8 rebounds per game – both career highs.
“My work ethic improved significantly from second grade to first grade,” Oshkosh North star. “That summer I spent in second grade was the greatest summer of my life.”
That helped him get named to the AP All-State first team and also caught the eye of Cyclones head coach TJ Otzelberger, who has deep roots in Wisconsin. Mitchell was also a member of the AAU team with Cyclones freshman Milan Momcilovic.
“The things that (Otzelberger) sacrificed – he called during (the NCAA Tournament), he came to see me at school and during my study hall to talk to me,” Mitchell said. “I think things like that are really special to my development. I just have a coach I can trust and I’m just able to understand that I have a guy who will support me.
During the recruiting process, Otzelberger’s staff put together a PowerPoint presentation showing how Mitchell would fit on their team and how they could take his game to the next level.
“He continues to let me know that I will be able to adapt to my style of play and what I can do, and he has also shown me a blueprint of what I can do in the future and how they can develop me and get me in better shape, which is also important, because you know I’m trying to make it to the NBA, and that’s my goal,” he said.
But before he heads to Ames to get closer to his NBA goal, the work isn’t done at Oshkosh North. He hopes to bring home a state title like Haliburton did.
“I’m going to continue to work hard and figure out what I need to get better and help the team make a continued run in the playoffs and hopefully advance to the state championship,” Mitchell said.
