Cretin-Derham Hall guard JoJo Mitchell always thought about what it would be like to play college basketball in his home state.

So after receiving a scholarship offer from St. Thomas earlier this week, Mitchell made his decision Friday to play for the Tommies and men’s basketball coach Johnny Tauer.

“Tauer’s just a really good coach,” Mitchell said. “I like the vibe. I like the whole coaching staff. I like the campus, too. It’s just a really good fit for me, I feel.”

Mitchell, a 6-1 senior, got to meet with the Tommies and see their new arena on his official visit Thursday and Friday. He also had offers from South Dakota, South Dakota State and Wyoming.

After making the jump from Division III to D-I, St. Thomas under Tauer went from 10 wins in 2021-22 to 19, 20 and 24 wins the past three seasons, which included a runner-up finish in the Summit League regular season and conference tournament last season.

“It feels good that my family and friends can come watch me play,” Mitchell said. “St. Thomas is a really good school. They’re going up from here, honestly. Every year they’re getting better and something new is being added to the school and growing. I want to be a part of that.”

Ranked as the state’s No. 7 player in the 2026 class by Prep Hoops, Mitchell was the second-highest-ranked uncommitted senior in Minnesota behind Hopkins guard Jayden Moore. Mitchell, who averaged 16.7 points, 5.5 assists and 2.4 steals as a junior, helped CDH reach the Class 4A state championship last season.

This summer, Mitchell played AAU for Howard Pulley’s 17U team, which played on the Nike EYBL circuit. Among his teammates was Cretin-Derham Hall wing Ty Schlagel, the top junior in the state.

The Tommies have six Minnesota natives on their 2025-26 roster, including recent transfers Isaiah Arigu-Johnson from Totino-Grace (Miami of Florida) and Tommy Humphries from Totino-Grace (Furman).

Minnesota’s two D-I programs could both now be on the rise. The Gophers hired a new coach in Niko Medved, who is open to the possibility of playing the Tommies in basketball.

Mitchell said he hopes the Gophers get on the schedule during his St. Thomas career.

“I always wanted to see St. Thomas and the Gophers versus each other,” he said. “Everybody would come to that and it would be nice. And there’s a new arena now. Not that I’m begging to, but it would be a fun game if it happened.”