Mark Mitchell is still in play - for now.
The Commonwealth of Kentucky Court of Appeals rejected the NCAA’s request for emergency relief on Friday in a case involving Mitchell and other athletes seeking a fifth season of eligibility. That decision leaves in place a temporary restraining order a lower court had already granted in favor of the athletes.
The legal fight is headed to a three-judge panel in the appellate court, which will eventually issue a final ruling. No hearing date has been set, though, and it could be months before the case is heard again. For Mitchell, that means Monday’s ruling could keep the door open for him to play for Missouri at least part of the season.
The situation has already taken a winding turn. Mitchell originally committed to Kentucky last month after the TRO created a one-week transfer portal window for the athletes involved in the suit. But shortly after that announcement, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and conference presidents and chancellors voted to issued a memo reaffirming the league's intraconference transfer bylaws, which state that schools that play athletes who transferred within the SEC but outside their sport's "regular" transfer window will have their head coach suspended for half of the regular season, be fined 50% of their sport's annual budget and be stripped of voting priveleges on "items of Conference business."
Then came the pivot. PowerMizzou.com reported on Monday that Mitchell had backed out of his commitment with the Wildcats, had enrolled at MU and planned to play for the Tigers - the last part seemingly confirmed by a "bat signal" on Twitter posted by Dennis Gates.
Mitchell was the centerpiece for Mizzou last season, putting up 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game and becoming the second player in program history to do so. If he’s cleared to suit up, he’d slide into one of the most loaded rosters Dennis Gates has built, alongside six returners, six transfers, three incoming freshmen and possibly another fifth-year candidate in former DePaul wing CJ Gunn, who PowerMizzou.com reported this week is also enrolled at the school.
In Other News...
Trent Pierce Became A Big Reason Mizzou Finally Settled Down
Missouri spent much of December looking out of sync before Trent Pierce returned to the lineup and helped the Tigers settle into a better rhythm. After missing time with a hip injury, Pierce rejoined the rotation and quickly became part of the stabilizing force the team needed, bringing more consistent minutes, better scoring and sharper shooting as Missouri tried to turn a difficult stretch into something more manageable.
Pierces rise has given the Tigers another reminder of how much a roster can change from one season to the next. He went from a freshman fighting for limited playing time to a junior who mattered in real games, and now his growth has set up a senior year with far more responsibility waiting for him. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Found Early Answers Fans Needed To See Before Kansas
Missouri got the kind of season opener it wanted to see, rolling past Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14 and showing early signs that the offense can carry over into a bigger September spotlight. Austin Simmons looked sharp from the start, completing 17 of 19 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns before giving way to the backups, while Donovan Olugbode gave the passing game an easy target all afternoon with a career-best eight catches for 116 yards and two scores.
The opener also offered a quick reminder that Missouris defensive playmakers are ready to tilt games, too, with safety Elijah Dotson adding three tackles and forcing a fumble. It was a comfortable win on paper, but for the Tigers, the more meaningful part may have been the way several key pieces answered routine questions before the schedule tightens up and Kansas looms. [Read more 🡒]