Mitchell won't join MU basketball for fall semester

COLUMBIA — The Missouri men's basketball team will be missing one of its prized recruits when it hits the court for the 2010-2011 season.

According to a news release, Dallas-area recruit Tony Mitchell missed the deadline to enroll for fall classes because of academic issues being reviewed by the NCAA Eligibility Center and will not be on the team this semester.

According to the Missouri Registrar's Office website, the deadline to register for fall classes was Monday.

“Tony’s case with the NCAA Eligibility Center remains under review, as has been the case for quite some time," coach Mike Anderson said in the release. "However with our fall enrollment deadline having passed, he will be unable to join our program at this time. We remain hopeful Tony will be able to join us at a point later in the season."

Mitchell, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound small forward, is listed as a five-star recruit on rivals.com.

He transferred to Pinkston High School in Dallas the summer before his senior year from the Center of Life Academy in Miami.

According to a report from WFAA-TV (Dallas/Fort Worth) in June, there was trouble regarding Mitchell's transfer and make-up credit. Fourteen credits Mitchell brought to Pinkston were untransferable, and make-up credits ended up being taken away because of disputed testing, the report said.

Another WFAA-TV report in June said Mitchell had 52 days with at least one unexcused absence from a class during his senior year, and he did not graduate with his class.

Mitchell committed to Missouri in November and was considered one of the highlights of a 2010 Missouri recruiting class rivals.com ranked as No. 6 in the nation.