Lexington, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky men's basketball announced the addition of transfer forward Tre Mitchell on Monday.

Mitchell comes from West Virginia, but has also made stops at Texas and Massachusetts. He is the eighth newcomer for the UK roster.

“Kentucky basketball and its fan base speaks for itself,” Mitchell said in a release. “An opportunity to be a part of something like this doesn’t come around very often.

"Coach Cal is a Hall of Fame coach who understands the game and the players he wants to play for him, but it’s the lifelong relationships with his players that stood out to me the most. That only happens when you know someone cares about their players."

“Tre is from Pittsburgh and I’ve known him for years,” Calipari said. “This was a unique situation but as soon as he put his name in the portal, he was a player I knew we needed to pursue.

"He brings leadership, experience, size and versatility and is a great fit for what we want to do. I know this is a win for us and I believe this will be a win for him, too. We are excited to have him as a part of our program.”

Last season with the Mountaineers, Mitchell averaged 11.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 47% from the field. He started 32 of 34 games while averaging 30 minutes per contest, but brings 102 career games of college experience to a young Wildcat team.

“My team and personal goals this year are one and the same: grow and win as much as possible,” Mitchell said. “With a young core, growth is on the horizon and it won’t hurt for these guys to have someone with experience in college basketball to lean on when they need it.”

The Pennsylvania native averaged 8.7 points and 4 rebounds during the 2021-2022 season with the Longhorns. Prior to that, in two seasons with UMass, Mitchell was a two-time All-Atlantic 10 selection who averaged 18 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

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