Mark Mitchell’s path back to college basketball took a sharp turn Friday, and by Saturday night he had a new home lined up.
The former Duke forward, once a five-star recruit, committed to Kentucky after entering the transfer portal with a do-not-contact tag. His move came after he was granted a temporary restraining order through a Jefferson Circuit Court ruling in Kentucky, which allowed him to pursue a fifth season.
Mitchell is now headed to his third school. He began at Duke, moved on to Missouri, and is now set to join the Wildcats if he plays this coming season.
At Duke, the 6-foot-9 forward spent two seasons and averaged 10.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists. After that, he transferred to Missouri and spent the past two seasons there before going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft.
His work with the Tigers made him a major addition for Kentucky. In two seasons at Missouri, Mitchell was named an All-SEC selection and put up 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 33.7 minutes per game while shooting 55 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three-point range.
If he suits up this season, Mitchell will be the only player to have played for both Duke and Kentucky.
Mitchell entered college as part of the 2022 class, when he was ranked No. 13 nationally, No. 3 among power forwards and No. 1 in Kansas. Rivals and 247Sports both gave him five-star status, and he chose Duke over Kansas and UCLA.
In Other News...
Duke Defense Has One Problem It Cannot Repeat This Season
Dukes defense had enough bright spots to keep the season from feeling like a complete collapse, but third downs were a glaring weak point all year. Opponents converted 45.4% of their chances in 2025, a number that placed the Blue Devils near the bottom of the FBS and made too many drives feel like slow-motion breakdowns instead of routine stops. Even with some encouraging turnover production, the overall profile never quite matched the kind of defense Duke needed to climb in the ACC.
The problems were especially evident in games where the breakdowns kept compounding, including the Virginia matchup when the Cavaliers turned 12 of 19 third downs into fresh life. Those kinds of possessions are the ones that swing field position, drain a defense and turn a decent outing into a frustrating one, and Duke finished 14th in the conference with too many of them. If the Blue Devils want a cleaner season ahead, third-down defense is the first place the fix has to show up. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Biggest Camp Question Still Has No Clear Answer
Dukes 2026 training camp has already offered a pretty clear glimpse of what this team wants to be. The running back room looks deeper than it has in a while, with Nate Sheppard leading the way and Jayvian Tanelus and CJ Campbell both turning heads, while the defense has flashed the kind of disruptive play that shows up in sacks and tackles for loss and can shape an entire seasons identity.
Even with those pieces settling into place, the biggest question in camp is still unresolved. Walker Eget and Dan Mahan are battling for the starting quarterback job, and there does not appear to be any announcement coming soon, which leaves Duke in the familiar place of waiting on the one position that tends to define everything else around it. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Is Leaning On One Veteran As Its New Offense Takes Shape
Duke heads into the 2026 season with a lot of unfamiliar faces around a roster that changed sharply after its ACC championship run, and that makes the return of tight end Jeremiah Hasley especially important. After a productive 2025 campaign, Hasley has emerged as one of the few proven pieces in an offense still taking shape, and his presence in fall camp has helped set the tone for a group that needs steady leadership as it adjusts to a new look.
The challenge now is bigger than simply replacing departed production. Dukes receiving room is being rebuilt with transfers and players still trying to establish themselves, which puts more pressure on Hasley to be a reliable option as the offense sorts itself out. If the Blue Devils are going to settle into a rhythm early, it may start with the veteran tight end becoming one of the primary targets and the stabilizing force this new group can lean on. [Read more 🡒]