Senior point guard Devonte Graham revealed on Wednesday that he has narrowed his list to Kansas and N.C. State, eliminating Virginia from consideration. UVa head coach Tony Bennett quickly turned his attention to another backcourt target in Mitchell Wilbekin, a 6’2” senior out of The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida.
Wilbekin signed a letter of intent with Tulsa last November, but when head coach Danny Manning left for Wake Forest he asked for and was granted a release. Bennett scouted Wilbekin on April 23 and offered a scholarship one week later.
“[Bennett] and I had communicated when Tulsa changed coaches,” Rock School head coach Justin Harden said. “He just kind of asked what Mitchell was going to do. Obviously, he couldn’t talk to him, but then [Tulsa] lifted the [letter of intent obligations] and Mitchell could then communicate with other college coaches. Coach Bennett was in last Wednesday, getting a better idea for Mitchell’s game and the type of person he is. He was very upfront with Mitchell and his dad in saying if he had a scholarship he would offer, but they had a guy coming in on a visit last weekend and they have to honor that. He said then that if they have a spot, they would like to get him up on a visit. Coach Bennett is a man of character and integrity and he has been true to his word the whole way.”
As of now, the plan is for Wilbekin to take an official visit to Wake Forest this Thursday and Friday. He then is scheduled to visit UVa next Monday and Tuesday. Harden does not expect the standout point guard to take too long to make a decision.
Given the fact that Wilbekin committed to Manning before, does Wake have a clear edge heading into these visits?
“To be quite honest I think he is open to both situations,” Harden answered. “He had a previous relationship with Tony. Tony was interested in recruiting Scottie back in the day. Mitchell went on an unofficial visit to Virginia last year to check everything out. They know Coach Bennett is a solid Christian, which is important to the family. I’d say he’s as open as possible given that the coach that recruited him to Tulsa is recruiting him to Wake Forest, but Virginia is an attractive option to the Wilbekins.”
Wilbekin, whose brother Scottie starred at the University of Florida, started all four years at The Rock School. As a junior, alongside soon-to-be NBA Lottery pick Joel Embiid, he helped the team to a state title. Wilbekin was named Sunshine Independent Athletic Association Player of the Year honors as a senior, when he averaged almost 15 points, 2.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
“Having watched London Perrantes over the course of the end of the season, I similar characteristics with Mitchell,” Harden said when asked to describe Wilbekin’s game. “I see similar calmness and demeanor when they play. They both can hit shots and they will defend. Mitchell is an extremely good shooter off the catch and off the dribble. We run a motion offense, so he is constantly in pick-and-roll situations. At any time he can knock down the 3, and he also has a great midrange game. As a junior he averaged over three turnovers. As a senior he averaged under two turnovers per game and he was our number one ball-handler. A lot of times teams would go to the full court press to get the ball out of Mitchell’s hands. A lot of people were not so sure he could play in a high major conference, but he was player of the year in our conference. That’s a tremendous honor, so I think he’ll do just fine on the next level.”
