It's not just the current Missouri Tigers that are coming off successful 2009-10 campaigns, one of their newest signees, 6-foot-8 forward Tony Mitchell, dominated the Dallas-area competition this year en route to Player of the Year honors from the Dallas Morning News on Thursday.
The powerful wing averaged 20.5 points, 13.2 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game this season, leading Pinkston High School to a 26-10 record and its first ever trip to the Class 4A Region II tournament.
Mitchell played at his best during Pinkston's biggest games this season, scoring 25 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in an upset win over Dallas Lincoln (28-4), 61-60, in overtime. Mitchell's club trailed by as many as 14 points in the game, but the athletic forward tied the contest at 52-52 with just six seconds left to force the extra period.
Perhaps one of Mitchell's most underrated aspects is his ability to create on the perimeter. The Top 50 national recruit hit 47 three-pointers as a senior and logged 4.4 assists per night.
Mitchell is one of four Tigers entering the program next season. He joins fellow Dallas-area standout Phil Pressey, Columbia shooting guard Ricky Kreklow and North Carolina prep school forward Kadeem Green (originally from Toronto, Ontario).
Pressey (5-foot-10 guard) was also named to the Dallas Morning News' First Team All-Area squad as well on Thursday. The lightning-quick guard averaged 20.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and an incredible 7.0 assists for the Episcopal School of Dallas. Ranked the #16 recruit nationally by 2K Sports, Pressey scored 32 points, grabbed eight boards and dished nine assists in the Southwest Private School Division I championship game in February.
Dallas Morning News Player of the Year Winners
Year Winner High School Signed
2010 Tony Mitchell Pinkston Missouri
2009 Shawn Williams Duncanville Texas
2008 Willie Warren North Crowley Oklahoma
2007 John Roberson Plano Texas Tech
2006 Darrell Arthur South Oak Cliff Kansas
2005 C.J. Miles Skyline Texas