AMHERST — The low point with Tre Mitchell’s ball security issues came Nov. 24 against St. John’s.
The Red Storm were one of the first teams to consistently send double and triple teams at the freshman center, and that inexperience showed in the box score. Mitchell had eight turnovers that night at Mohegan Sun Arena as UMass lost to St. John’s, and he said after the game that the triple teams were a main cause.
In the more than two months since that game, Mitchell has adjusted to the constant traffic around him. When teams don’t send two players at Mitchell, the freshman has had some of his best games as he dominates the interior. When they do, the Pittsburgh native has started to reduce the number of times opponents have been able to poke the ball away from him in the post. It culminated Tuesday with a zero-turnover performance in the loss to Rhode Island.
He credited his improvement to the detailed video sessions he’s had with assistant coach Tony Bergeron. In those meetings, Mitchell said he’s worked at understanding the floor around him when teams send those double teams from different directions.
“We started with my turnovers out of the double teams,” Mitchell said. “I got to see what the court looks like with people doubling from the high side and doubling from the low side, doubling from the passer. I could see all my options and see different ways so that when I catch it and evaluate it, I can turn and see where the double is coming from and be able to operate out of it.”
It has become almost second nature for Mitchell to read and react to the defenses, making it difficult for him to explain his thought process. However, he said what is most important to him when in those situations is finding ways to protect the ball.
“It’s really just all feel,” Mitchell said. “You have to read the defenders and then be able to see small gaps where you can step through and be able to get it up or step through and kick it to people. I don’t always have to make a play out of the double team, I just can’t turn the ball over.”
Matt McCall said the Minutemen need to do a better job at helping Mitchell when he’s in the double team. The coach credited Mitchell with doing a better job at placing himself in more advantageous positions in the post than he did earlier in the season, but that the next step is for him to have confidence his teammates will be where they are supposed to be when the double teams are applied.
UMass has struggled at times this season at making the shots Mitchell creates by drawing double teams, but there have also been several occasions earlier this season when the freshman center was trapped with the ball because he didn’t have anywhere to pass. McCall said that is the next step in the development of the Minutemen’s offense, but is happy with how the freshman has improved his ball security with little adjustments.
“It’s positioning, (Mitchell) not getting pushed so far off the block and getting (the ball) more on the block,” McCall said. “He knows now where double teams are coming from, and as we continue to watch film, we need to continue to help him with that. We have to make sure he also knows exactly where everybody else is on the floor so when the ball goes into him, we’re moving where we’re supposed to be moving every single time. And just him continuing to make quick moves and not even wait on the double, just go quick as fast as you can and not wait on it.”
Especially against Rhode Island, Mitchell did a much better job at making decisions when he received the ball on the interior. He was quick with his post moves to negate the double team before it arrived. He was physical in going through contact for layups while also standing his ground firmly when posting up. And when he felt like he wasn’t in a good position, he was able to work with the guards to pass the ball out to give him the time and space to work himself into a better spot to be a threat.
Mitchell said what he exhibited at Rhode Island was something the coaches have been imploring from him all season, and took blame for not being able to execute it earlier. However, he believes he’s found himself in a better offensive rhythm on the interior as UMass (9-14, 3-7 Atlantic 10) gets ready to host George Mason (13-9, 2-7) on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
“They’ve been preaching that to me all year and it took a longer than it should have to implement it,” Mitchell said. “A lot of the times, I would kick it out and the guards would swing it. At Rhode Island, I’d kick it and they’d hold it for a second and give me the opportunity to repost and get the ball back.”