Varsity basketball guard senior Connor Mitchell wasn’t always the player he is today. “In fourth grade going into fifth, right before I was about to take basketball seriously, my friends and I at Landon were at recess and we went to the basketball courts for some reason since I usually went to the soccer field since I was still playing soccer at the time, but this time I decided to play basketball. So we did a little 3v3 thing and I was horrible; I was so bad at basketball and I distinctly remember my teammate, who now goes to the University of Pennsylvania for basketball, passed me the ball and told me to shoot it, so I shot it, it felt ugly. It was probably the ugliest form anybody had ever seen. I shot it from the corner; it went over the rim and air-balled; it was so bad and I didn’t even know how to shoot,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell was young when he began playing basketball competitively. He was 11 in fifth grade. “My dad inspired me to play, he was a D1 basketball player and we would watch NBA and college games together,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell wasn’t always a basketball player. He used to play soccer and run track but stopped both due to time management.

Before his senior year, Mitchell played basketball outside of school. He played on the AAU team Germantown Sports Association. “It’s hard to believe it’s the last time I’ll play high school or AAU basketball, considering it’s been such a huge part of my life,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell has created a bond with his teammates over the years. According to teammate and junior Jaiden Aze, Mitchell is a leader, funny and fun to be around. “I have a good relationship with my teammates; we can laugh and joke on and off the court and we are all a tight-knitgroup,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell’s basketball coach Erick Graves thinks highly of him. According to Graves, Mitchell is a class-act work-hard kid; he contributes leadership, maturity and understanding of the game, communicates well with his teammates and is a good player overall. “He’s funny and his personality, his energy off the court, he always says these things and gets this little smile on his face. He’s a terrific young man,” Graves said.

Jersey numbers hold meanings for each player. “The jersey numbers four and 44 are my favorite because four is my favorite number and my dad wore 44. But all of the jersey numbers I’ve worn I associate with the memories of being on that specific team,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell partakes in exercises to improve his game. “I go to Onelife, practice in my backyard and lift weights,” Mitchell said.

He enjoys listening to music. “My favorite music to listen to while practicing basketball is trap music, mostly Playboi Carti, Autumn! and UnoTheActivist,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell has two favorite NBA players. “My favorite player of all time is Kobe Bryant; I loved how he played. Currently, my favorite is Damian Lillard; he’s so tough and watching him play is so satisfying,” Mitchell said.

Fans can see Mitchell play at home on Wednesday, Jan. 11 against Magruder.