'He's a competitor': Akron transfer Kobe Mitchell fitting in with Walsh basketball team

NORTH CANTON — It took Kobe Mitchell practically a split second to fit in at Walsh University.

Doing so in a crowded Akron backcourt the past couple of years wasn't so easy. Mitchell was fortunate if he saw a few minutes a game on the court with the Zips. The former Ohio Division III boys high school basketball player of the year wasn't used to limited time like this.

Now Mitchell is a full-time player again. He hit five 3-pointers and scored 20 points in Walsh's season-opening win over Grand Valley State on Saturday. It felt like old times at Cadiz's Harrison Central High School where he scored 2,421 career points.

"It's a little different obviously, but the guys we have here have made it easy to adjust," said Mitchell, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week. "They're just letting me be me and letting me play like I know how. That has been easy."

Mitchell's first impressions in a Walsh uniform were eye-popping. He hit nine 3s and scored 32 points in an exhibition win over NCAA Division I Oakland. He thinks the nine 3s matched his high school career best.

"Obviously it had been awhile since I went off like that," Mitchell said. "Just being able to do that, sit back and think 'I feel confident" ... when you go without playing, you can lose confidence for sure. Just being able to go out there, trust what you're working on and come through really helps a lot.

"Anytime you do that at the college level, it's obviously bigger than high school. It felt good to do that."

Mitchell ended his high school career ranked 15th all-time in Ohio in scoring. He was so respected at Harrison Central, his No. 1 was retired a few months after his senior season.

Mitchell was recruited hard by Walsh, but he ultimately picked Akron. Now he has chosen to make Walsh home. It's a reverse of fortune for the Cavaliers, who saw Chandler Vaudrin and JT Shumate transfer to Division I schools. They went on to become successful players at that level.

"Once we heard Kobe was going to jump in the portal, we jumped right on him," Walsh head coach Jeff Young said. "He had a lot of other options, especially at the Division II level. We felt very fortunate to be able to get him."

Mitchell redshirted as a freshman at Akron and averaged 10 minutes a game off the bench last season. An increased role this year didn't appear in sight.

"At a place like Akron, you always have great players, and playing time is going to be hard to come by depending on what and where you play," Mitchell said. "I was just looking for a better fit. I think I found one here."

Mitchell is fitting in with a team that has other players who also can shoot lights out. Walsh hit five 3s against Grand Valley State before he sank his first one. His second one was splashed in from deep NBA range.

Mitchell is not just a shooter. He also grabbed 11 rebounds in the Cavs' 86-75 win over the Lakers.

"He's a huge addition," Walsh junior swingman Garrison Keeslar said. "He's a smart player. He's conscious. He knows what he's doing at the defensive end. The way he shoots it, it extends the defense and opens up the driving lanes.

"He's a competitor. He wants to win. He came here to play and win. He doesn't care what his numbers are. He's an unselfish guy. I already love having him as a teammate."

Mitchell respects his new teammates.

"I think we have a lot of guys who really want it," he said. "They come in to work every day. We've been working hard since the summer. As far as our team chemistry, we're all buying in and trust each other. We're on the same page, which helps."

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Akron transfer Kobe Mitchell a 'huge addition' for Walsh basketball