Kansas native could consider Jayhawks again after entering transfer portal from Duke

The Kansas basketball team is in dire need of a forward from the transfer portal after losing Kevin McCullar to graduation and potentially Johnny Furphy to the NBA Draft. With a couple of roster spots expected to open within the coming weeks, Bill Self and the rest of his coaching staff have plenty of work to do now that the NCAA dead period is complete.

There is one transfer who makes all too much sense for the Jayhawks. He is a Kansas City native who was once recruited by KU out of high school before ultimately committing to Duke. Could this Duke transfer go from one blue blood to another?

Kansas Jayhawks could pursue a player they were once interested in

Mark Mitchell was a highly coveted recruit out of high school, ranking as a 5-star prospect from Sunrise Christian. His local ties made him an obvious target for KU's coaching staff. While he embarked on a visit to campus, he took his talents to Durham to play for two seasons at Duke.

As he enters the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining, Mitchell figures to receive interest from some of the best programs in the country. Across two campaigns with the Blue Devils, Mitchell averaged 10.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.4 3-pointers made on 50.5%/31.9%/67.5% shooting splits.

The left-handed forward is a physical, athletic forward who finishes strong around the basket. He does not shy away from contact and has improved his post-scoring since his freshman year. His physicality makes him a tough, gritty defender, though he is limited on the perimeter offensively and defensively.

Mitchell is familiar with Kansas and could receive some calls from local schools such as Mizzou, which he also visited in 2021. He was a full-time starter at Duke and projects to receive a similar workload elsewhere.

He does not fit the need for outside shooting but is a versatile defender and the exact archetype of player the Jayhawks tend to target. If Coach Self plans to change KJ Adams' role next season, he and Mitchell would form an excellent tandem to split minutes at the power forward position.