re·demp·tion [ri-demp-shuhn]
noun
1.an act of redeeming or the state of being redeemed
2.deliverance; rescue.
3.Theology.deliverance from sin; salvation.
4.atonement for guilt.
Life’s journey is often a peculiar one. One given on the uncertain path we are all traveling on is that nothing in this life is guaranteed, you will encounter peaks and troughs – it’s how you overcome the obstacles in your journey that define who you are as a person.
Robert Mitchell seemingly had it all. A promising collegiate career at Seton Hall – one of the most prestigious schools in the country – which would eventually lead him to his fulfilling his dream of playing in the NBA. He was on his way.
Life doesn’t always adhere to the plans we make though.
Mitchell, also known as “Stix”, was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, New York, but spent time in the surrounding area of Bushwick. One of the most notorious sections of Brooklyn, it’s easy to fall into a life of crime but Mitchell saw basketball as his refuge, a safe haven to keep himself off the streets, and away from the negative aspects of life in his neighborhood. Freely admitting, that although his grades were okay, he had to begin his basketball career at prep school in Mississippi.
“I stayed there for six-months,” begins the softly spoken Mitchell. “I still needed more credits and still needed a (SAT) score) so I decided to take the ACT and went to Notre Dame prep for the next year. So, I ended up doing two-years of prep school.”
Eventually, the guard/forward – who stands every bit the 6’6 he is listed at, but appears much taller due to his long, slender frame – would move to Duquesne University (his first university) for the 2006-07 season where he racked up the accolades, including Rookie of the Year. To fulfill his goals though, Mitchell realized that greater competition was needed to further improve his play: a move to Seton Hall was made the following year.
The journey was still going to plan.
Having to abide by NCAA transfer rules, Stix sat out the entire first year at his new school, a period he now calls “my introduction to Seton Hall.”
“It was bigger, more media. The Big East is a bigger conference so there was definitely more exposure,” Mitchell adds.
When he finally did hit the court, Mitchell was eager to make up for lost time. Averaging 14.6 points and 8 rebounds in his first season there was immediate pressure on him to enter the NBA Draft, amidst legitimate interest from some teams.
“I had some people tell me I should just enter,” reflects Mitchell. “There was another player on my team that had an outside chance [of being drafted] so both of us was thinkin’ of putting our name in, but I had two more years to play. I’m young, I’m enjoying college, I wasn’t [seriously] thinking about it.”
Robert Mitchell was about to have his resolve tested over the next couple of years. Up to this point, life had been good for the Brooklynite. Things would soon change. It was the next year where he began veering off the path that he had worked so hard to set for himself.
