A 6'4" shooting guard, Mitchell played at Mississippi State University under Babe McCarthy during the early 1960s.

He was an All-Southeastern Conference honoree in 1963, a season in which Mississippi State lost to eventual champion Loyola University Chicago in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

[3] The school had to sneak out of town to reach the tournament, since an unwritten Mississippi law prevented racial integration on the basketball court.

[5] In the regional semifinal, now known as the Game of Change, Mitchell had 14 points and 11 rebounds against Loyola before fouling out with over six minutes left.

He never played for the Hawks, but spent the 1967–68 season in the American Basketball Association as a member of the New Orleans Buccaneers, who had hired Babe McCarthy as their coach.