Ray Shirley
July 23, 2020
Leonard Mitchell
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 27/11/60
- Place of Birth: Lafayette, Louisiana (USA)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 200
- Weight (KG): 92
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Louisiana State University (1980-1984)
- NBL DEBUT: 12/02/88
- AGE AT DEBUT: 27
- LAST NBL GAME: 9/07/88
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 27
- NBL History: Geelong 1988
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Leonard Mitchell was born in Lafayette, Louisiana (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Leonard Mitchell made his NBL debut with the Geelong Supercats at 27 years of age. He scored 18 points in his first game.
Leonard Mitchell played one season in the NBL. He averaged 24.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3 assists in 23 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 48th in points per game.
– 34th in rebounds per game.
– 16th in steals per game.
– 24th in blocks per game.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 27 | Geelong | 0-24 (13) | 23 | 941 | 555 | 262 | 71 | 94 | 168 | 57 | 46 | 99 | 72 | 236 | 503 | 47% | 17 | 52 | 33% | 66 | 113 | 58% | 50% | 49% | 42 | Totals | 23 | 941 | 555 | 262 | 71 | 94 | 168 | 57 | 46 | 99 | 72 | 236 | 503 | 46.9% | 17 | 52 | 32.7% | 66 | 113 | 58.4% | 50% | 49% | 42 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 27 | Geelong | 0-24 (13) | 23 | 40.9 | 24.1 | 11.4 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 7.3 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 10.3 | 21.9 | 47% | 0.7 | 2.3 | 33% | 2.9 | 4.9 | 58% | 50% | 49% | 42 | Total | 23 | 40.9 | 24.1 | 11.4 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 7.3 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 10.3 | 21.9 | 46.9% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 32.7% | 0.7 | 2.3 | 58.4% | 50% | 49% | 42 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 42 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
Leonard Mitchell was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with pick #60 in the 1984 NBA Draft.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Spain - Collado Villalba (1984–1985)
Mitchell joined Collado Villalba for the 1984–1985 Liga Endesa season in Spain, playing 28 games while averaging 25.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Mitchell wore No. 10 for Collado Villalba in 1984–1985 and averaged 37:47 minutes, 0.6 assists, 2.4 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game.
In Collado Villalba’s 82–83 loss to Caja Ronda on 23 September 1984, Mitchell pulled down 11 rebounds with 3 blocks and 3 steals, alongside Dan Caldwell (25 points) and Jeff Cross (22 points).
Mitchell’s ACB single-game high was 42 points on 8 December 1984 for Collado Villalba, and he finished fourth in Liga Endesa scoring at 25.6 points per game.
In Collado Villalba’s 83–85 loss to Caja Ronda on 19 January 1985, Mitchell scored 19 points with 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals, with Germán González (30 points) and Larry Boston (24 points, 10 rebounds) also leading the box score.
Mitchell shot 45.2 percent from two-point range, 33.3 percent from three, and 68.1 percent from the foul line, with his season totals logged at 716 points and 267 rebounds in league play.
Collado Villalba finished 2–12 in the first phase and 2–12 in the A-2 phase of the 1984–1985 ACB season, and the club was relegated at the end of the campaign.
COLLEGE
Mitchell played college basketball at Louisiana State University, As a freshman in 1980-81 he immediately stepped into Dale Brown’s lineup in the Southeastern Conference and started all 36 games for a 31-5 LSU team that went 17-1 in league play, won the SEC regular-season title, finished No. 4 in the final AP poll, and reached the Final Four.
He averaged 10.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks in 30.7 minutes per game that season while shooting .511 from the field and .568 at the foul line, and he finished with 390 points, 258 rebounds, 28 assists, 35 steals, 20 blocks and 110 personal fouls across 1,105 minutes.
That freshman season placed him alongside veterans Rudy Macklin, Howard Carter, Ethan Martin, Greg Cook and Willie Sims on one of LSU’s best teams of the era, and he also delivered a major postseason performance with 27 points and 12 rebounds in the SEC Tournament against Tennessee before contributing to NCAA Tournament wins that carried LSU through to the national semifinals.
In the Midwest Regional final against Wichita State, Mitchell scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as LSU advanced to the Final Four, giving him one of the standout tournament games of his college career.
As a sophomore in 1981-82, Mitchell again played under Dale Brown in the SEC and started all 27 games he appeared in for a 14-14 LSU team that finished 11-7 in conference play and fifth in the league standings.
He raised his production to 14.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.4 blocks in 34.2 minutes per game while shooting .546 from the field and .613 from the free-throw line, totaling 377 points, 205 rebounds, 26 assists, 44 steals and 11 blocks in 923 minutes.
Mitchell shared the load that season with Howard Carter, Derrick Taylor, Johnny Jones and freshman Ray Borner, and LSU’s rotation changed significantly from the previous Final Four team after the departures of Macklin, Martin, Cook and Sims.
In 1982-83, Mitchell returned as a junior and delivered his best scoring average at LSU, helping Dale Brown’s Tigers finish 19-13 overall and 10-8 in SEC play for second place in the conference standings.
Sports Reference credits him with 31 games that season and 35.6 minutes per game, and his per-game line climbed to 14.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks while he shot .538 from the field and .615 at the line.
His season totals in 1982-83 were 455 points, 282 rebounds, 20 assists, 47 steals and 31 blocks in 1,105 minutes, and he teamed with Howard Carter, Jerry Reynolds, John Tudor and Johnny Jones in LSU’s main lineup.
He was recognized as an All-SEC selection during this period of his career, and LSU closed the regular season strongly with five straight SEC wins before an opening-round loss in the conference tournament ended its postseason hopes.
As a senior in 1983-84, Mitchell wore No. 24 and was listed on LSU’s roster as a senior forward from St. Martinville, Louisiana, continuing under head coach Dale Brown with teammates that included John Tudor, Johnny Jones, Jerry Reynolds, Steffond Johnson, Don Redden, Oliver Brown, Theron Cojoe, Damon Vance and Nikita Wilson.
LSU went 18-11 overall and 11-7 in SEC play in 1983-84, tied for third in the conference standings, reached the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, and then received an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament before losing its opener to Dayton.
Mitchell played 24 games and made 19 starts as a senior, averaging 11.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks in 29.1 minutes per game while shooting .496 from the field and .574 from the line.
His senior totals were 286 points, 176 rebounds, 35 assists, 25 steals and 20 blocks in 699 minutes, and he finished his final season as one of LSU’s veteran frontcourt leaders while the program transitioned toward a younger core.
Across his four LSU seasons from 1980-81 through 1983-84, Mitchell played 118 games, started 82, averaged 12.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game, and shot .524 from the field and .595 from the free-throw line.
His career totals at LSU were 1,508 points, 921 rebounds, 109 assists, 151 steals, 82 blocks and 3,832 minutes, and he left the program as a two-time All-SEC selection, a former High School Parade All-American, and one of the most productive rebounders in LSU history.
Mitchell’s 1,508 career points kept him among LSU’s all-time leading scorers, while his career rebound total placed him among the program’s top rebounders and underscored the consistency he brought from his freshman season through his senior year.
He also ranked among LSU’s notable career steals leaders with 151, showing the all-around defensive activity that complemented his scoring and rebounding production over four seasons.
His college career ended in 1984 after helping LSU post team records of 31-5, 14-14, 19-13 and 18-11 during his four varsity seasons, giving him a combined 82-43 record across his time in Baton Rouge.
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