Orlando: Tre Mitchell impresses as programs watch his progess

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We spent a second day covering the two major events in the Orlando area, the Prime Event and the AAU Super Showcase, and we have more news and notes on some highly recruited prospects.

MORE: Notes on Josiah James and others in Orlando

REPORTS FROM LAS VEGAS: Eric Bossi's Friday blog | Carey and Quinones put on a show | Coaches flock to Anthony | Bossi's Thursday blog | Bossi's Wednesday blog | LeBron's son draws a crowd

Four-star post player Tre Mitchell had a really good morning for Expressions Elite in a big win over Team Final to get the day started at the Super Showcase. Mitchell's interior play on both ends was impressive, but what really stood out was the Pittsburgh native connecting on four of his five three-point attempts.

Mitchell is a highly coveted prospect not just for his basketball ability but also for his academic prowess. On Friday morning, Pittsburgh head coach Jeff Capel and NC State head coach Kevin Keatts were courtside, as were assistants from Notre Dame, Louisville, Wake Forest, Georgia, Providence, Rutgers, Illinois and Georgetown. The class of 2019 prospect is getting close to moving toward the next step in his recruitment.

“Everything is still pretty wide open,” Mitchell said. “I’ll probably sit down with my parents some time after this weekend and start figuring things out. I’m talking to a lot of schools right now.”

Mitchell shared his thoughts on some of the schools we saw watching him, and mentioned a recent stop at UConn.

Notre Dame: “They have a fantastic program. Coach (Mike) Brey knows what he’s doing. He knows how to use his players. It’s just a great program all the way around.”

UConn: “They are definitely trying to turn that program around. They are going after some of the best players around trying to get it going. The new coaching staff has really good guys and they know what they are talking about.”

Pittsburgh: “Coach Capel is really good, too. He’s trying to turn them around because they have fallen off a good bit. It’s not necessarily a huge deal for me to go back home to Pitt. I’m just looking for the right fit.”

Louisville: “Coach (Chris) Mack is a great coach. He’s very intelligent and knowledgeable about the game. He really knows what he’s doing.”

Four-star small forward Christian Brown isn’t playing this week for Upward Stars, but he still made the trip to Orlando to support his team while he gets much-needed rest. Despite not playing, he still had coaches from Clemson and Georgia courtside to get face time with him.

Along with those two schools, Brown mentioned Arizona State, Florida, LSU, Texas Tech and UNLV as some of the schools he’s still considering as he gets closer to trimming down his list. Brown shared his thoughts on some of those schools.

Clemson: “They’ve been on me for a while. That was my first offer. They’ve been recruiting me since like the eighth grade. They had a great year this year.”

Georgia: “Tom Crean, he was my coach at Adidas Nations last year. I already know his coaching style and I like it. He’s a great coach and knows what he’s talking about.”

LSU: “It’s a good program. I like the way they play. Whatever you’re good at, that’s what they want you to do.”

UNLV: “My visit there went well. They showed me all around the campus. I got to know all the players. The coaches told me their plan if I go there and what I would do.

- Noah Fernandes was a standout performer in the Expressions Elite win over Team Final. He’s had a great couple days in Orlando, and has the eye of almost every Atlantic 10 school as well as some high-majors. He’s a little small, but he makes up for it with his scoring ability, his passing and his intangibles.

- Jaden Harris could be one of the next stars out of Georgia in the 2021 class. The 6-foot-4 guard is an effortless scorer and a really good athlete. Georgia Tech has already offered and had an assistant watching him. Tennessee also had an assistant watching him.

- Nate Tabor had a really good outing on Friday afternoon for NY Rens. He’s a really gifted finisher in the paint, made a couple shots and just made really good decisions with the ball. He’s long and athletic, and certainly looks the part of highly recruited prospect in the 2020 class. He mentioned Seton Hall, St. John’s, Auburn, LSU, West Virginia, Illinois, UConn and Penn State as some of the schools involved with him right now. UConn had an assistant in attendance.

- Tabor’s backcourt mate, Ethan Morton, will be another highly recruited guard in the 2020 class. The 6-foot-5 lead guard has a very complete overall game and is a true facilitator. Ohio State had an assistant courtside tracking him.

- Ohio State had another assistant at the Super Showcase watching Buckeye commit Alonzo Gaffney, who hit some big shots in a win over CP25.

- Omar Payne has had a really good weekend in Orlando. Since this time last year, he’s put on some good weight and is playing within himself. He has great timing on blocking shots. He’s a very good finisher with soft touch and great hands. Ohio State, Texas, Wake Forest, Georgia, UConn, Vanderbilt, FSU, Maryland and Michigan were among the schools watching him against All-Ohio Red.

- Three-star forward Luke Anderson has been pretty focused on Georgia, Iowa State and South Florida for a while now. Each school had an assistant coach at the Super Showcase watching him on Friday night.

- Colby Jones from the Alabama Fusion is one to keep an eye on in the 2020 class out of Alabama. With his team playing up a year in the 17U division, the 6-foot-3 guard did everything he could to bring them back for a win over Team Knight in the quarterfinals. Scoring is his best trait, but he’s a pretty well-rounded player. Alabama had an assistant keeping tabs on his progress.