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Tre Mitchell…contributed by The Woodstock Academy


Player of
the Year
Before Tre Mitchell was even awake March 15, his phone was already abuzz.
“I got a couple of text messages and then, everybody just started to blow my phone up at the same time,” Mitchell said.
It’s how The Woodstock Academy senior center learned he was named the Gatorade Connecticut Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
“It’s just an honor to be named as such. There are just so many names that are just so big time, like in the NBA and all over the world, who have been named Gatorade Player of the Year. It’s just nice to be recognized for all the hard work both on and off the court,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell has played for The Woodstock Academy Gold prep basketball team in its inaugural two seasons and has been the cornerstone of a program that has posted 73 wins against just seven losses. It has finished in the top five of the prep basketball rankings nationally in each of those two years.
“Only losing seven games in two years, only two this year, it’s been kind of crazy. Everybody has put in the work and you can see how good the teams have been. It’s just an excellent opportunity for anybody that gets to come here,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell is originally from the Pittsburgh area but has been a resident of Woodstock for the past two years.
The 6-foot, 9-inch forward scored more than 1,000 points and grabbed more than 700 rebounds in a Woodstock Academy uniform over the past two years. Mitchell was named Power 5 Conference Player of the Year and tournament Most Valuable Player in each of the last two years. He is also a McDonald’s All-American nominee.
“You’re talking about a kid who came in at 33 percent body fat and 265 pounds. He’s currently at 13 percent body fat, 230 pounds. He’s upped his vertical leap 8 inches. He’s transformed his entire body,” said Woodstock Academy prep basketball coach Tony Bergeron.
Bergeron said while that may sound easy, it’s not.
“What people don’t understand about these kids. They see these kids walking around and think it’s so fantastic for them and so easy – is that they have been uprooted, left all of their family and friends to come here, to make this sacrifice and to put themselves in a better position. It’s extremely difficult for these kids to do that and I commend all of them, certainly Tre,” Bergeron added.
Mitchell is Bergeron’s second Gatorade POY in his 19 years of coaching and working with 170 scholarship players.
Tyreke Evans, who now plays for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, was the first.
“I love it because it’s a tri-award,” Bergeron said. “You’re talking about an elite level athlete who has to do it academically and has to be of the utmost character. To get it is terrific.”
Mitchell has grown not only as basketball player, but as a person.
“As I said in the Letter of Recommendation (to Gatorade) about Tre, which I was honored to write, he says ‘Hi’ to you every day. He acknowledges you when he walks by you in the hallway. He’s a nice human being. It’s great that he has this wonderful athletic talent, but most important to me as Head of School (at The Woodstock Academy) is that we have produced a fine young man who, no matter what the future holds, will be successful because he has those skill sets,” Chris Sandford said.
Mitchell said the decision to come to The Woodstock Academy proved to be the right one.
“It’s been an excellent opportunity for me. Every single day, I get in the gym and I’m constantly pushed. There is never a day where you relax. You don’t have time off. You are always being pushed to be a better player,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell had considered re-classifying to the Class of 2020 and re-enrolling at The Woodstock Academy for a post-grad year.
“I thought he was a little complacent in December so I told him, ‘Listen, you’re going to do a post-grad year,’” Bergeron relayed. “He didn’t really need one, but I knew that’s what it was going to take for him to step on the gas pedal. To be frank with you, I knew all along he was not staying, but I was the only one. He thought he was (re-classifying). He asked me what he needed to go (on to college) and I showed him the numbers and he reached them. He’s certainly ready. He has great schools (to choose from), can’t make a mistake with any of them and he has aspirations of playing professionally (after college) and I think those are realistic.”
Mitchell, armed with that information, has decided to remain in the Class of 2019.
He has whittled down his college choices to six; Providence College, UMass, Indiana University, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and Georgia Tech.
He has not made an official visit to any of those schools.
“I’m not completely sure,” Mitchell said when asked when he planned to make a decision. “I’m not going to put a timeline on it because anything can happen. It’s just when I get that feeling that it’s the right school after I go on these visits. That will be it.”   
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy