We’ve reached the end of the reviews and it’s only mid-July!
There were some indications of Mark Mitchell entering the transfer portal early in the season. Duke had signed Cooper Flagg who played the same position, and Mitchell hadn’t popped despite playing a big role for the Blue Devils in his two seasons there. As a former 5-star recruit, Mitchell and Duke were headed for an amicable separation.
When Missouri stepped in and got the commitment the early reactions had Mitchell as a potential breakout candidate out of the portal. But even with Mitchell on board, expectations outside the program were modest at best.