West Virginia transfer Mitchell commits to Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (KT) -- It took just one visit to persuade Tre Mitchell to determine his future.

The West Virginia transfer committed to the Wildcats after taking an official visit to Lexington last weekend. Mitchell, a 6-foot-9 power forward, entered the transfer portal after Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins resigned earlier this month.

Mitchell will have one year of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer. He averaged 11.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last year at West Virginia.

"I have a dream and I have the opportunity to follow that dream," he said in a social media post. "I've got (to) think about my future and ensure myself the best opportunity to follow that dream."

Kentucky coach John Calipari welcomed the addition of Mitchell to his team's roster.

"Tre is from Pittsburgh and I've known him for years," Calipari said. "This was a unique situation, but as soon as he put his name in the portal, he was a player I knew we needed to pursue. He brings leadership, experience, size and versatility and is a great fit for what we want to do. I know this is a win for us and I believe this will be a win for him, too. We are excited to have him as a part of our program."

Kentucky will be the fourth school in five years and third time as a graduate transfer. Mitchell has played at UMass, Texas and West Virginia.

"Kentucky basketball and its fanbase speaks for itself," Mitchell said. "An opportunity to be a part of something like this doesn't come around very often. Coach Cal is a Hall of Fame coach who understands the game and the players he wants to play for him, but it's the lifelong relationships with his players that stood out to me the most. That only happens when you know someone cares about their players.

"My team and personal goals this year are one and the same, grow and win as much as possible," Mitchell said. "With a young core, growth is on the horizon and it won't hurt for these guys to have someone with experience in college basketball to lean on when they need it."

SEC SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

The Southeastern Conference released its men's basketball schedule on Monday and the Wildcats will play an 18-game schedule, which includes home-and-home dates with Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Mississippi State.

The Wildcats also will play Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Missouri at home. The road foes also include Auburn, LSU, South Carolina and Texas A&M.

Dates and times will be released at a later date.