POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Pearl River's men's basketball team continues to lock down some of Mississippi's top prep talent.
The Wildcats complemented their 2020 signing class on Monday with the addition of Tupelo forward Josh Mitchell.
Mitchell adds more star power to a class that already includes North Panola guard Ankerion Gross, Natchez guard KeDarius "Squirt" Stampley, Hattiesburg guard Cameron Brown, Brandon wing Jaquevias Tarvin, Olive Branch point guard Joe Cooper and Daytona State transfer Damerius Wash.
"Josh is a kid who's bursting at the seams with talent," Pearl River coach Chris Oney said. "He's a natural shot blocker and has a very high ceiling on the offensive end.
"At 6-foot-8, he's long and rangy and can play forward or center."
Oney added that Mitchell's skillset is similar to that of departing All-American Isaih Moore (Columbia, S.C.; Sumter).
"He shows a lot of the same versatility," Oney said. "He can really run and move from that forward spot."
Mitchell really exploded onto the prep scene as a junior in 2018-19, averaging 9.7 points and 10.2 rebounds while leading the Golden Wave to the MHSAA Class 6A Final Four.
Mitchell's junior season landed him on the Clarion-Ledger's Dandy Dozen squad alongside Brown and Tarvin; Cooper was an '18 Dandy Dozen selection. He also secured a spot in the annual Mississippi Association of Coaches North-South All-Star Game.
As a senior, Mitchell continued to excel and finished his final prep season averaging 12 ppg, 12 rpg and three blocks. Mitchell joined Brown as MS Gridiron First Team All-State selections.
RECORD SETTING SEASON
The Wildcats' historic run was cut short by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, but Pearl River still had a season to remember. Among the season's highlights, Pearl River's 28-0 record set a program-high, the Wildcats were the lone undefeated team in the NJCAA, PRCC was the first Mississippi school to earn the No. 1 seed in the NJCAA Tournament, the Wildcats claimed the MACJC championship and a second consecutive Region XXIII title; and the Wildcats were the first Mississippi school to qualify for the NJCAA Tournament with an unblemished record. In addition to the student athletes' awards, Oney was named the MACJC, Region XXIII and NJCAA Coach of the Year.
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