Ohio State freshman Mickey Mitchell not cleared by NCAA

Just a few weeks before their regular season tips off, Ohio State's men's basketball team was dealt some bad news when it was announced by Athletic Director Gene Smith that Mickey Mitchell was not cleared by the NCAA to play.

"Freshman forward Mickey Mitchell has not been cleared to compete for the Ohio State men's basketball team by the NCAA Eligibility Center. He is eligible to practice but not compete until the issue is resolved."

The 6'7 small forward from Plano, TX was getting ready for his first season at Ohio State when the eligibility ruling was released. Mitchell was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and some of his Youtube highlight videos had ramped up expectations for what he might be able to do for the Buckeyes in the future.

Mitchell originally committed to Ohio State in August of 2013 but a year later he announced he was decommitting to explore his options. The decommitment was short-lived, as Mitchell reaffirmed he would be attending college at Ohio State in September 2014. With his college future decided, Mitchell was able to lead his Plano West team to a Texas State Championship, as he averaged 9.5 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, and 5.9 assists per game.

Now with the news about his eligibility, Mitchell will be hoping to impress enough in practice to earn playing time when he is ruled eligible to return to Ohio State and compete in games. Mitchell was likely to come off the bench during his first year in Columbus, but his versatility on the court might have earned him more playing time than originally thought.

Ohio State's regular season tips off on Sunday November 15th at noon when they host Mount St. Mary's at Value City Arena.