Prospect Update: Mitchell Saxen (2020)
Every spring there’s a number of guys in each state that blow up, Ingraham’s 6-foot-9 power forward Mitchell Saxen is certainly one of Washington’s.
Playing with adidas Gauntlet program Team Lavine 16U has greatly improved his visibility.
Earlier this month, Saxten received his first D1 offer from Pepperdine. He says Portland is hot on his trail, and is on the verge of offering. Kansas and North Carolina have called his high school coach. “That was kind of cool,” Saxen said.
He also mentioned Utah and Stanford has been in contact with him.
Saxen will be playing up with the 17Us as he heads into the summer, and will go to New York with them in July for the adidas Gauntlet Championships.
His recruitment could continue to swell then, and he’ll be keeping his mind open all along the way. Although, if Stanford offered, that might be a bigger deal than any other program.
“I’m pretty open as far as looking into colleges. I’m just starting to understand what I’m looking for, and I personally prioritize academics,” said Saxten.
“I first had my sights set on Ivy League, but seeing schools like Kansas and UNC call about me, I might want to consider Stanford more, or something like that. I’m just considering options right now.”
Rebounding, finishing inside and blocking shots are strengths of his. And he defined what it is that makes him such a sought-after big-man right now.
“Offensively, I think I’m really good in the mid-post. And I’ve been working a lot on my footwork there, and I’m trying to move that out to the wing this summer,” said Saxen.
“I need to be more athletic, so I’ve been working on that this summer; just getting quicker and more athletic, and that will help me out defensively, and finishing inside.”
He’ll be working with a couple trainers this summer to work on becoming quicker and bouncier.
As a sophomore with Rams, Saxen averaged six blocks per game, and was named the Metro Defensive Player of the Year. He was getting it done offensively, too.
A swiss army knife guy, who does a little bit of everything. It’s no wonder he’s been blowing up of late.
“I had to do a lot for my team,” Saxen said. “I spotted up sometimes, I played on the wing, I scored from the post. I did everything, pretty much.”