MORGANTOWN — It’s been a career filled with moments, but maybe never a home for Tre Mitchell.
Here one minute, off to somewhere new the next, never settling in, and just maybe, never really finding out who he truly is.
“I feel like I’ve always been somebody who lives where my feet are,” the WVU senior forward said. “I try to live in the moment and get better every single day.”
His basketball days spanned two high schools, one in his hometown of Pittsburgh and another in Connecticut, where his recruiting profile began to develop.
He played two promising seasons at UMass, before his days in the transfer portal began with a move to the Big 12 and Texas last season before transferring again to WVU.
“I saw the guys that were coming in,” Mitchell said when asked what drew him to WVU. “That was part of the influence. I knew them and knew about their careers. After competing in the Big 12, I knew I was able to do some good things in the Big 12. I just needed the opportunity. When (WVU head coach Bob Huggins) reached out, it was a blessing.”
A blessing in that Mitchell — listed at 6-foot-9 — gave the Mountaineers (9-2) some much needed size, while Huggins wanted opened the door for Mitchell to showcase both his inside and outside parts of his game.
After years of moving around, Mitchell said he finally found a place in Morgantown where his feet are comfortable.
“Being this close to home, it was almost like God dropped it in my lap in a sense,” he said. “Since being here, I don’t want to leave. I love everything about it. I’ve told people a million times that I can’t believe that this culture, this brand of people and basketball was an hour away from my home and I knew nothing about it.”
Seth Wilson equals tough shots
As this season moves forward, Huggins said he’s got to get sophomore guards Kobe Johnson and Seth Wilson more playing time.
Wilson was a spark off the bench in Sunday’s victory against Buffalo with 10 points in 15 minutes.
With his ability to shoot off the dribble, sometimes even taking step-back and fade-away jumpers, Wilson’s knack for making tough shots has caught the eyes of his teammates.
“He’s leading the league in shots that shouldn’t go in,” WVU guard Erik Stevenson said. “He makes them. I credit a lot to our practices, when we split up and work on our skill development, so we work a lot on those types of shots.
“Seth had one in the first half that was like a one-legged leaner, and I thought it was going to be way short, but it ended up being all net, which was good for him.”
No looking ahead
WVU’s final tune-up comes Thursday against Stony Brook (N.Y.), out of the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Seawolves (4-8) have won two of their last three, including a 66-59 victory against Army.
Big 12 play begins on Dec. 31 with a two-game road trip to Kansas State and Oklahoma State, but Huggins said his focus is on playing well against Stony Brook before heading into the Christmas break.
“You have to think less about the (Big 12) and worry about Stony Brook,” Huggins said. “I have watched (film) of K-State. They’re good. We’ll worry about that when the time comes. Let’s beat Stony Brook, and then we’ll start worrying about league play.”
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