It was the day after Northern Illinois` final exhibition game, and David Mitchell looked like a college student who had just finished a week of finals- relaxed and relieved.
The night before, the 6-foot-3-inch junior guard had started just the second game in his college career, and he responded with 16 points.
”It`s been a long time since I`ve stepped up and played,” said Mitchell, who logged just 56 minutes in 15 games last season. ”It was so much fun.”
The fun had just begun for Mitchell. With Mike Lipnisky nursing a sore back, Mitchell has started three games for NIU (1-2) heading into Wednesday`s contest at Xavier.
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He`s averaging 14 points and seven rebounds a game. In Saturday`s 94-59 blowout of Aurora University, Mitchell scored 18 points and blew past his total minutes of a year ago six minutes into the game.
”There were times last year I put my head down,” admitted Mitchell.
”(Student manager) Tai Kim kept my head into the game.
”The main reason I came back (rather than transferring) is Coach (Brian) Hammel gave me a chance. It was a fresh start.”
When Hammel replaced Jim Molinari as head coach last May, he brought an up-tempo, West Coast brand of basketball with him from Southern Cal. Mitchell, who`s from Long Beach, Calif., was ecstatic.
”It`s a great relief to be playing again,” he said. ”All the running at the beach at home is paying off. This is something I deserve.”