Former Mizzou forward Mark Mitchell was not selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday night, leaving the tip-off to his professional future continuing to hover into Wednesday’s second round.

Round 2 begins at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

For Mizzou fans, the question now is whether Mitchell can become the next Tiger to hear his name called or follow the undrafted path several recent Missouri players have taken into professional basketball.

Mitchell enters the second round as a draft-bubble prospect. The Ringer listed Mitchell as the No. 45 prospect in its draft guide, placing him in second-round range. Other public boards placed him lower, including Tankathon, Yahoo Sports, ESPN and The Athletic, which ranked him in the 70s, leaving him far off hypothetical draft boards. 

That makes both outcomes realistic Wednesday night. Mitchell could still be selected in the second round, but if his name is not called, he could still likely sign with an NBA team as an undrafted free agent.

From left, Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile (7) defends Mizzou guard Mark Mitchell (25)

From left, Arkansas forward and former Missouri player Trevon Brazile (7) defends Mizzou’s Mark Mitchell (25) on Saturday at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Mitchell scored 26 points in 39 minutes on the hardwood.

Thomas Raymond/Missourian

That path has become familiar for recent Missouri players. Sean East II signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers after going undrafted in 2024. D’Moi Hodge also signed a free-agent deal with the Lakers after the 2023 draft. Tamar Bates went undrafted in 2025 before signing a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets.

Mitchell’s case is built on what he became at Missouri. As a senior, he led the Tigers with 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, according to stats kept by Mizzou Athletics. He became just the second player in program history to lead Mizzou in scoring, rebounding and assists in the same season. 

Mitchell played some of his best basketball late in the year, scoring 32 points in back-to-back games against No. 20 Arkansas and Kentucky. His 32 points against Arkansas set a new career high, and he matched it five days later against Kentucky in the SEC Tournament. 

The Kentucky performance was the most points ever scored by a Mizzou player in an SEC Tournament game. 

Mitchell also delivered one of Missouri’s biggest regular-season moments, scoring 21 points and hitting the go-ahead basket in the Tigers’ first win at Kentucky in program history. In his final college game, he scored 19 points and added five assists against Miami in the NCAA Tournament. 

His time at Mizzou marked a jump from his first two college seasons at Duke. Mitchell started 67 of 68 games with the Blue Devils, averaged 10.3 points and 5.2 rebounds across two seasons and helped Duke reach two NCAA Tournaments, including the 2024 Elite Eight. 

The stylistically similar prospect to Mitchell is Kobe Brown, the last Tiger drafted directly out of the program. Brown went No. 30 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2023 after leading Missouri with 15.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a senior. He also added 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 55.3% from the field and 45.5% from 3-point range, according to stats kept by Mizzou Athletics.

Mitchell’s senior numbers were different but similar in profile: more scoring and playmaking volume, slightly less rebounding and not as much proven high-volume shooting. Brown was a fringe first-round pick. Mitchell’s package doesn’t sit too far away to what Brown offered in 2023. 

Both players, though, made their value at Missouri about more than scoring. Brown became a versatile, efficient team leader who could rebound, pass, defend and stretch the floor. Mitchell became a physical forward who could score, create for others, defend multiple positions and carry a larger offensive role.

Both players prided themselves on their ability to affect all areas of the basketball game when called upon. 

That is likely where NBA teams will evaluate Mitchell most closely. His scoring at Mizzou helped get him into the conversation, but his path to a roster will likely depend on the rest of his game: size, defensive versatility, passing feel, physicality and whether his shooting growth can translate to an NBA role.