After two seasons at URI, the Mitchell twins will look to continue their season elsewhere. PHOTO CREDIT: Greg Clark
Just when it seemed like the number of University of Rhode Island Men’s Basketball players leaving the program had come to a halt, two more joined the list.
Sophomore forward duo Mahkel and Mahki Mitchell announced Monday afternoon on both their personal Instagram accounts, @thats_khi and @_khelll, that they will be declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft while also entering the transfer portal with no plans to return to the team next season.
“I would like to personally thank the University of Rhode Island for welcoming my brother and I with open arms, ” the statement said in part. “Also Coach Cox, Staff, and administration for guiding me to becoming a better student athlete.”
“I have made a decision to enter my name into the transfer portal based on the conversation I had with the incoming coach and we both came to the conclusion that it’s best for me to further my collegiate career with a program more conducive to my style of play. I feel that it is important to consider all my options in order to make a decision that is best for my future.”
Mahki and Mahkel become the fourth and fifth players currently in the transfer portal following the hiring of new men’s basketball coach Archie Miller — joining Tres Berry, Allen Betrand and Ileri Ayo-Faleye. Antwan Walker also entered the transfer portal and committed to nearby Bryant University on Wednesday.
Highly touted out of Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington D.C., the former four-star recruits began their college career with the Maryland Terrapins in 2019, but only lasted a few months there before entering the transfer portal. The brothers were the first to commit to URI after the team dealt with the sudden departures of Tyrese Martin, Mehki Long and Jacob Toppin to the transfer portal in March 2020.
Mahki missed the majority of his first season with the Rams due to a knee injury, but returned this past season and started 27 games, averaging 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, as well as posting six double-doubles. His most notable performance came last November when he snagged 18 rebounds while scoring 13 points in a win against Bryant University.
Mahkel started 50 games in two seasons and averaged 10.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He was also amongst the nation’s top shot blockers, averaging 2.4 blocks per game. His best performance came on Jan. 13, 2021, where he scored 23 points in 34 minutes against UMass.
The Rams will certainly look at the transfer portal to add reinforcements to their roster. They are now left with five scholarship players — Sebastian Thomas, Jalen Carey, Malik Martin, Ishmael Leggett and Abdou Samb. Martin and Leggett were initially in the portal, but elected to return for this upcoming season.