James David "Mitch" Mitchell was a basketball player whose performances both on and off the court set impressive standards for all who would follow.
Mitchell, a 6'5" forward, came to Louisiana College in 1965 from Harrisonburg High School, where he displayed a raw talent for the game. Brought out of red-shirt status in the thirteenth game of his freshman year, Mitchell delighted the crowds immediately; he was to remain in the starting line-up until his graduation in 1969.
Mitchell's strength in basketball was his tremendous shooting ability. At the time that he finished his career, he was the Wildcat's all-time leading scorer. After almost twenty-five years of faster paced basketball, he is still high on the list, even though he played in only 85 games, twelve less than anyone above him in total points. On New Year's Eve, 1968, in a Florida Tournament game against Mississippi College, Mitchell scored 41 points. That is still the highest number of points any one player has scored in a single game. He was named Most Valuable Player in 1969.
Mitchell has excelled in his career as an educator and a coach. Mitchell recently retired as the principal and coach at Harrisonburg High School. He also plays an integral part in the development of the North Catahoula Dixie Youth baseball league, which he helped to organize. He is also a deacon in his church and an active member in the Harrisonburg chapter of the Rotary Club.
The Wildcat Athletic Association proudly inducted James David "Mitch" Mitchell as a member of the Louisiana College Sports Hall of Fame on February 13, 1993.
