UCSB Men’s Basketball guards Ajay Mitchell and Josh Pierre-Louis declared for the 2024 NBA Draft on Tuesday via their social media accounts.
Ajay Mitchell
Mitchell played three seasons for the Gauchos, earning two All-Big West First Team nods and playing his way to the title of Big West Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season.
Across his three years at UCSB, the point guard averaged 16.1 points, 4.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 51% from the field.
In his freshman season, Mitchell was named the Big West Freshman of the Year and was awarded a spot on the All-Big West Second Team after averaging 11.6 points, 3.7 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game.
The lefty followed that up with a Big West Player of the Year season where he put up 16.3 points and 5.1 assists per game. He was also a Lou Henson All-American.
He helped the Gauchos to a Big West Championship and NCAA Tournament Appearance in that 2022-23 season, leading the team to an overall record of 27-8 and a conference mark of 15-5.
Although his final season at UCSB didn’t result in another Big West Championship, he flashed his potential to the NBA scouts keeping tabs on him.
Mitchell capped off his Gaucho career by shaking off an early-season injury and averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game en route to another All-Big West First Team selection.
The 21-year-old with the ability to take over a game with his scoring projects to be a late second-round pick in this year’s draft, which takes place on Thursday, June 27.
Josh Pierre-Louis
Pierre-Louis announced his commitment to the NBA Draft just a few hours after Mitchell did, capping off a four-year Gaucho career.
The high-flying guard transferred to UCSB from Temple University for the 2020-21 season and made an immediate impact.
In his first year as a Gaucho, he made an immediate impact on a team that won the Big West Championship and clinched a spot in the NCAA Tournament. He was named to the Big West All-Tournament team.
He then made the move to the starting lineup in his second year on the team, averaging 8.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
Pierre-Louis continued his improvement in his third year at UCSB with a season-long stat line of 9.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game playing alongside Mitchell.
His senior season ended up being his best as a Gaucho, as he set career-highs in points (11.4), rebounds (4.8) and assists (3.2) per game.
Pierre-Louis will likely be taken after Mitchell should he be selected in the upcoming draft, as a team may be intrigued by his elite athleticism.