DJ Newbill
February 2, 2021
Akil Mitchell
- Nationality: PAN/USA
- Date of Birth: 26/06/92
- Place of Birth: Charlotte, North Carolina (USA)
- Position: PF
- Height (CM): 206
- Weight (KG): 113
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Virginia (2010–2014)
- NBL DEBUT: 7/10/16
- AGE AT DEBUT: 24
- LAST NBL GAME: 26/01/17
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 24
- NBL History: New Zealand 2017
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Akil Mitchell was born in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Akil Mitchell made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 24 years of age. He scored eight points in his first game.
New Zealand entered 2016/17 after finishing fourth with a 16-12 record and losing the Grand Final series 2-1 to Perth. Chief executive Richard Clarke and coach Dean Vickerman departed following the season, with Paul Henare promoted from assistant to head coach and Dillon Boucher taking over as general manager. Cedric Jackson (to Melbourne) and Tai Wesley (to Melbourne) also left, while Thomas Abercrombie, Corey Webster, Alex Pledger and captain Mika Vukona returned. Kirk Penney (via Illawarra), Robert Loe (via Limburg United) and Ben Woodside (via Türk Telekom) were added, while Finn Delany, Shea Ili and Jordan Ngatai were elevated from development player roles.
Akil Mitchell (via Antibes) filled New Zealand’s second import position after playing with the New York Knicks at the 2016 NBA Summer League, signing a one-year deal with the Breakers. “One of the things that impressed me most was his willingness to learn and do whatever it takes for the team to win,” Henare said. Mitchell made an immediate impression during the preseason Australian Basketball Challenge when he defeated Terrance Ferguson to win the NBL Dunk Contest.
An injury-filled preseason saw Ili (back), Penney (calf) and Webster (hip and back) miss time before New Zealand opened the season against Melbourne at Vector Arena on October 7. Mitchell (8 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) came from the bench in his NBL debut, with Abercrombie (14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists) and Vukona (12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) helping New Zealand defeat Melbourne 76-71, while former Breaker Cedric Jackson (14 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists) was Melbourne’s best.
Mitchell (9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds across 25 games) played each of New Zealand’s first 25 games, came from the bench in every appearance and led the Breakers in rebounding. His season-high scoring performance came against Brisbane on October 22, where Mitchell (20 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals) made 9-of-12 shots but only two of six free throws. Penney (14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) and Woodside (14 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists) provided support, while Torrey Craig (17 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block) led Brisbane as the Bullets won 88-82, with New Zealand converting only nine of 19 free throws.
Mitchell’s best game came against Adelaide on October 29, where he made 7-of-10 shots and finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal without committing a turnover. Penney (27 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) made seven three-pointers and Webster (22 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) added 22 points, while Nathan Sobey (32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) was Adelaide’s best as New Zealand won 119-93 and produced its highest score since the NBL moved to 40-minute games.
Mitchell’s final appearance came against Cairns at the North Shore Events Centre on January 26. Mitchell (13 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) had made six of eight shots in 18 minutes before contesting a rebound with Nnanna Egwu (6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block) early in the fourth quarter, when Egwu accidentally poked him in the left eye and his eyeball came out of its socket. Play was stopped for approximately 15 minutes before Mitchell was taken by ambulance to Auckland Hospital, where the eyeball was relocated and his vision was intact. Penney (18 points) and Vukona (16 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist) led New Zealand, while Cameron Gliddon (26 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) led Cairns to a 94-81 victory. Further examinations found no major damage and Mitchell described the outcome as “something I can only describe as a miracle.” He remained sidelined as swelling and irritation continued and later returned to North Carolina for specialist treatment, where a significant cut to the eye was still healing.
New Zealand’s season was also disrupted by injuries and repeated changes to its import combination. Woodside (8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals across 6 games) ruptured the plantar fascia in his right foot in November and was ruled out for six to eight weeks, with David Stockton (via Cedevita Zagreb) signed as his injury replacement. Stockton (8.3 points and 4.2 assists across 10 games) initially provided a lift before suffering an ongoing back problem. Webster (11.7 points across 15 games) continued to battle the hip and back problems which had troubled him throughout the season before being shut down and undergoing season-ending hip surgery, while Abercrombie (11.7 points and 5.2 rebounds across 21 games) missed time with a broken hand. Paul Carter (via Alba Berlin) arrived in late December as Webster’s injury replacement and also provided cover for Abercrombie before New Zealand released Stockton and Woodside in January and signed Kevin Dillard (via Pınar Karşıyaka) for the remainder of the season.
After winning only eight of its first 20 games, New Zealand recovered behind Dillard (18.1 points, 4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals across 9 games) and Penney (17.4 points and 3.4 rebounds across 28 games), putting together four consecutive victories to improve to 12-12 and revive its playoff hopes. Carter (9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds across 11 games), Pledger (8.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 28 games), Loe (7.1 points and 3.4 rebounds across 26 games) and Vukona (6.5 points and 5.1 rebounds across 27 games) provided the other major contributions, while Penney was named the Breakers’ club MVP. Consecutive losses then left New Zealand at 12-14 before the final two games.
Mitchell missed New Zealand’s final three games following the eye injury, the only games he missed during the season. The Breakers won their final two games and closed the season against Melbourne at Vector Arena on February 10, where Dillard (16 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Penney (15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) led New Zealand, while Casper Ware (23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) was Melbourne’s best as the Breakers won 88-70 and finished fifth with a 14-14 record.
Akil Mitchell played one season in the NBL. He averaged 9.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 25 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 24 | New Zealand | 14-14 (5) | 25 | 568 | 238 | 179 | 53 | 49 | 130 | 22 | 11 | 49 | 66 | 105 | 189 | 56% | 2 | 3 | 67% | 26 | 79 | 33% | 53% | 56% | 20 | Totals | 25 | 568 | 238 | 179 | 53 | 49 | 130 | 22 | 11 | 49 | 66 | 105 | 189 | 55.6% | 2 | 3 | 66.7% | 26 | 79 | 32.9% | 0.5318198069 | 0.5608465608 | 20 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 24 | New Zealand | 14-14 (5) | 25 | 22.7 | 9.5 | 7.2 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 5.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 7.6 | 56% | 0.1 | 0.1 | 67% | 1.0 | 3.2 | 33% | 53% | 56% | 20 | Total | 25 | 22.7 | 9.5 | 7.2 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 5.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 7.56 | 55.6% | 0.02222222222 | 0.02222222222 | 66.7% | 0.08 | 0.12 | 32.9% | 0.5318198069 | 0.5608465608 | 20 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 20 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
|---|
FIBA EXPERIENCE
In May 2016, Mitchell trialled for the Panama mens national basketball team ahead of the 2016 Centrobasket in June. He made the squad, and in six games for Panama, he averaged 5.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
NBA EXPERIENCE
After going undrafted in the 2014 NBA draft, Mitchell joined the Houston Rockets for the 2014 NBA Summer League. On September 26, 2014, he signed with the Rockets, but was waived by the team soon after (23 Oct 14) and a week later, was acquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of the Rockets. In 49 games for the Vipers in 2014–15, he averaged 9.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
In July 2015, Mitchell joined the Brooklyn Nets for the 2015 NBA Summer League.
In July 2016, Mitchell played with the New York Knicks at the 2016 NBA Summer League.
On February 24, 2017, Mitchell was acquired by the Long Island Nets of the NBA Development League. In four games for Long Island, he averaged 8.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
On September 24, 2017, Mitchell signed with the Brooklyn Nets but was waived by the team two weeks later.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- France - Olympique Antibes (2015–2016), Boulazac Basket Dordogne (2018–2019) | Italy - Pallacanestro Trieste (2019–2020) | Israel - Hapoel Gilboa Galil (2020), Maccabi Rishon LeZion (2020–2021) | Turkey - Pınar Karşıyaka (2021) | Germany - Brose Bamberg (2021–2022) | Greece - AEK Athens (2022–2023) | Puerto Rico - Grises de Humacao (2023), Criollos de Caguas (2024) | China - Ningbo Rockets (2023–2024), Qingdao Eagles (2024) | Philippines - Meralco Bolts (2024–2025) | Japan - Yokohama B-Corsairs (2024), Nagasaki Velca (2025)
On August 13, 2015, Akil Mitchell signed with Olympique Antibes for the 2015–16 LNB Pro A season, and in 34 games he averaged 9.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
On August 4, 2018, Mitchell signed with Boulazac Basket Dordogne of the French LNB Pro A, beginning his second stint in France at the top-division level.
On July 30, 2019, Mitchell signed with Pallacanestro Trieste of Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A, and his season in Italy was later impacted by the 2019–20 campaign being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic before he moved to Israel late in the season with a May 26, 2020 signing for Hapoel Gilboa Galil, a stint that was reported as ending with a Final Four run.
On August 16, 2020, Mitchell signed with Maccabi Rishon LeZion in Israel, and he averaged 15.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting .599 from the field, with his rebound rate listed as third-best in the Israeli Basketball Premier League and his steals ranked ninth.
On July 14, 2021, Mitchell signed with Pınar Karşıyaka in Turkey’s top division, and across the season he was listed at 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, with one report noting a split of 6.6 points and 5.8 rebounds across Turkish league and Basketball Champions League play before his mid-season move.
Mitchell signed with Brose Bamberg in late November 2021 on a deal running through the end of the 2021–22 season, and in Germany he was later credited with averaging 12.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in BBL play as Bamberg reached the playoffs.
On August 2, 2022, Mitchell signed with AEK Athens, averaging 12.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 22 Greek domestic league games, while also producing 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in the 2022–23 Basketball Champions League as AEK reached the quarter-finals, with his 8.5 rebounds per game listed as the fourth-highest mark in that BCL season.
In late April 2023, Mitchell signed with Grises de Humacao in Puerto Rico’s BSN, and later in 2023 he joined the Ningbo Rockets in China’s CBA, with published transaction reporting listing his Ningbo signing as September 7, 2023 and his contract ending on January 14, 2024, while his CBA season line at Ningbo was listed at 18 games with averages of 15.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in 30.3 minutes.
On March 11, 2024, Mitchell signed with Criollos de Caguas in Puerto Rico, and his 2024 BSN season line with Caguas was listed at 35 games with averages of 14.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
In 2024, Mitchell also had further non-USA stints reported in Japan and China, with published transaction reporting listing a July 5, 2024 signing with Yokohama B-Corsairs that ended on September 1 at his request, followed by a September 19, 2024 move to the Qingdao Eagles that ended on November 5, and he was then announced as signing with the Meralco Bolts in November 2024 as an import for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup and East Asia Super League.
In 2025, Mitchell played with Nagasaki Velca in Japan’s B.League and the roster period included teammates Hyunjung Lee, Yudai Baba and Jarrell Brantley, with early-season team listings showing Mitchell at 9.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game for Nagasaki during the 2025–26 B.League schedule window.
COLLEGE
Akil Mitchell played four seasons at Virginia (2010–2014), arriving in Charlottesville as a lightly-regarded recruit who chose the Cavaliers over offers from Navy and George Washington.
He had a inconsistent freshman season in 2010/11, but played more than expected after a injury to star Mike Scott. Mitchell appeared in 29 games and made one start (Seattle, 12/22/10), averaging 2.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 15.1 minutes per game while finishing the year with 24 assists and 18 steals. His best scoring night as a freshman was nine points on 4-of-6 shooting against LSU (1/2/11), and his top rebounding game was eight boards against Miami in the ACC Tournament (3/10/11), with other notable early outings including seven rebounds against Oregon (12/17/10) and four points with five rebounds against No. 13 Washington at the Maui Invitational (11/22/10).
In 2011/12, Mitchell played in all 32 games and started the final 15, averaging 4.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 22.0 minutes per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field. He joined Scott and classmate Joe Harris in the Cavaliers' starting lineup midway through the 2011/12 season as the trio led the team to a 22–10 record, and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in five years. Mitchell’s first career double-double came in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal against NC State (3/9/12), when he posted 10 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, and he also had 10 rebounds against Maryland (2/18/12) and a career-high four assists to go with 10 points against Wake Forest (2/8/12). Virginia’s season ended in the NCAA Tournament against Florida in Omaha, with Mitchell used off the bench in the closing stages of the loss as Virginia’s senior core played its final game.
As a junior the next year, Mitchell averaged 13.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, earning third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honours. He started a school-record 35 games in 2012/13, shot 54.5 percent from the field and 69.3 percent at the line, and finished the year with 12 double-doubles, the program’s most in a season since Travis Watson recorded 16 in 2002/03. His double-double list included 15 points and 13 rebounds vs Delaware, 14 points and 16 rebounds vs Seattle, 11 points and 10 rebounds at Wisconsin, 13 points and 12 rebounds vs Tennessee, 15 points and 12 rebounds vs Morgan State, 10 points and 10 rebounds at Wake Forest, 14 points and 12 rebounds vs NC State, 13 points and 12 rebounds at Georgia Tech, 19 points and 12 rebounds vs Duke, 15 points and 12 rebounds at Florida State, 15 points and 10 rebounds vs Maryland, and 15 points and 11 rebounds vs Norfolk State. Mitchell tied his career-high with 20 points against Green Bay (12/1/12) and Mississippi Valley State (12/8/12), set a career-high with 16 rebounds against Seattle (11/19/12), and produced an ACC season-high 19 points against Duke (2/28/13) while ranking among the ACC leaders in rebounding and field-goal percentage across the season.
With more support as a senior, Mitchell's personal statistics declined, but the Cavaliers enjoyed one of their best seasons in years, recording a 30–7 record, winning both the regular-season and ACC Tournament championships and earning a top seed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament. In 2013/14 he played 37 games with 36 starts, averaging 6.8 points and a team-leading 7.0 rebounds in 25.7 minutes per game, while shooting 56.1 percent from the field. Mitchell was named to the ACC All-Defensive team and second-team All ACC Tournament after averaging 6.3 points and 9.7 rebounds during Virginia’s ACC Tournament wins over Florida State (3/14/14), Pittsburgh (3/15/14) and Duke (3/16/14), highlighted by seven points and a season-high 15 rebounds in the championship game against Duke (3/16/14). His senior-year game peaks included 15 points vs Notre Dame (2/22/14), 12 points and nine rebounds in the regular-season title clincher against Syracuse (3/1/14), six points and a game-high 11 rebounds vs North Carolina (1/20/14), plus double-doubles of 11 points and 13 rebounds vs Florida State (1/4/14) and 10 points with 12 rebounds at Pittsburgh (2/2/14). In the 2014 NCAA Tournament he had six rebounds in Virginia’s win over Coastal Carolina, and he again pulled down six rebounds in the one-possession Sweet 16 loss to Michigan State (61–59).
Across his four-year Virginia career, Mitchell finished ranked third in school history in games played (133), seventh in rebounds (798), and tied for 14th in double-doubles (15), while producing career averages of 6.9 points and 6.0 rebounds on 51.9 percent shooting from the field.
AWARDS
- All-Champions League First Team (2023)
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All-Champions League Defensive Team (2023)
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Greek League All-Star (2022)
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Third-team All-ACC (2013)
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ACC All-Defensive Team (2014)
Related
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