Mitchell Rausch '17 Recruiting Profile

I remember the first time my 2^nd grade coach at the Boys and Girls Club had me run the Mikan drill and I made 15 shots in under a minute. I fell in love with shooting and continued practicing at each depth from every angle until I mastered making shoots all over the court. I played AAU for 9 years, from 4^th through 12^th grade and my coaches would comment on how I would always shoot and practice dribbling before and after practice.  My first AAU coach was crazy about team discipline and basketball fundamentals: setting picks, good dribbling, passing, and running plays. He taught us a lot about how you must work hard with your teammates in order to get to the next level. We made it to the AAU Division 3 finals in 6^th and 7^th grade against the same team, Seattle Rotary. We finished second in 6^th grade and won the championship in 7^th grade. Although we came up short in the AAU finals in my 6^th grade, I learned how important it is to learn from losses in order to improve for the next game and make it to the next level.

My high school coach called me a “Gym Rat” because I practiced far more than anyone else on my Varsity team. Working hard and practicing hard has been a way of life for me, which has allowed me to master my shot. I set the all-time record for 3-point baskets made in a single season at my high school, surpassing the record previously held by Austin Daye, one of the few players from my high school that made it to the NBA. I guess the highlight of my high school basketball days was in the last regular season game where we were down double digits to our cross town rival who had already beaten us badly twice. In the fourth quarter my teammates and I decided that we weren’t going to lose. With my teammates help, I came alive in the 2^nd half and finished with 24 points. We won the game, which allowed us to go to CIF. During my years playing club, high school basketball, I learned the value of teamwork and listening to what the coach wants from everyone on the team.

I am now enrolled at Santiago Canyon College in pursuit of an Associate of Arts Degree in Communications. I spend much of my free time practicing in the gym and also receiving help on my basketball fundamentals from a former NBA player. I am looking for a school that will allow me to continue playing basketball while improving my development in the classroom and as a person. I am confident that I have the necessary work-ethic to contribute to a college basketball program in pursuit of excellence.