From the Thunderdome to Thunder star, UCSB’s Ajay Mitchell is making waves in the NBA

Before he stood under the falling confetti in Paycom Center after his thrilling Game 7 of the 2025 NBA championship, Ajay Mitchell was grinding away in the softly lit corners of UCSB’s Robertson Gymnasium. Today, Mitchell is a world champion.

Though the Oklahoma City Thunder’s third-string guard logged just 4.9 minutes per game in the 2025 NBA Finals, he embodied the grit and unselfish defense-first mentality that defines Head Coach Mark Daigneault’s culture. Some could say he found his place in basketball history because of it.

Ajay Mitchell originally hails from Liege, Belgium and grew up honing his skills in Belgian youth leagues. Mitchell was guided by his father Barry Mitchell, a former basketball player at Norfolk State. After making his debut with the Belgian Lions (Belgium’s senior national team) at age 18 in 2021, Mitchell briefly trained with France’s Nanterre 92 under‑18 squad alongside rising star Victor Wembanyama, before committing to the Gauchos in the summer of 2021 as a 3-star recruit.

UCSB men’s basketball Coach Joe Pasternack described Mitchell’s rise as the product of steady growth and continued dedication to his craft.

“He didn’t come to UCSB as an NBA player. He developed into one, and it was all about his process every single day over the course of three years and work ethic to improve his game,” Pasternack told the Nexus. “Starting off at 172 pounds, he gained 24 pounds of muscle over the last couple of years. He increased his vertical jump, his athleticism and worked very, very hard. When he got to UCSB, nobody else really wanted him and recruited him to college, and he was a self-made player.”

Drafted 38th by the New York Knicks on June 27, 2024, Mitchell entered the league with modest expectations as a second-round pick. But after being traded to Oklahoma City on draft night, he quickly caught the attention of General Manager Sam Presti and Head Coach Daigneault during his first training camp in July.

“I think the one that really stands out to me is the offseason out here. I think once I got here, I started playing in an open run, I think it was really competitive,” Mitchell said. “It was Cason [Wallace] that was hooping at that time, and I just couldn’t stop him the first few plays, and I think that was the first time I was like, okay. This is serious now.”

Mitchell took this level of seriousness to heart, stepping up to NBA-level intensity to the spectacle of scouts and coaches alike.

“Ajay came in with an incredible attitude, played both sides of the ball, but we really pushed him hard to be a great defender, and I think he improved every single year in that area,” Pasternack said. “He ended up picking his man up full court and really stunned all the NBA scouts with how important defense was to him. He’s absolutely a two-way force.”

Mitchell spoke on similarities between Daigneault’s and Pasternack’s defensive emphasis. 

“They both really focus on how much you can give for your team and how much effort you put out there on the floor,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell departed from the Gaucho program on a somber but exciting note, as he joined a short list of just 12 Gauchos that had entered into the NBA.

Matching Mitchell’s impact may be tough, but with graduate guard Stephan Swenson – a Stetson University alum with a degree in international business – the program’s future looks to be in steady hands.

Like Mitchell, Swenson hails from Belgium, and the two were youth league rivals during under-16 tournaments in 2018. Swenson has emerged as a potential leader for the Gauchos since Mitchell left for the NBA. With Mitchell’s departure creating a major void on offense, Swenson has drawn attention as a steady presence, valued for his composure under pressure and relentless work ethic.

“Stephan Swenson loves the game of basketball. I mean, I literally had to tell him to get out of the gym because he would be in here three times a day,” Pasternack said. “He’s another guy that really defends and plays really, really hard and has incredible high character. And I think that those attributes are similar to Ajay and what made him so great, and I think he’ll be a great pro.”

On Jan. 11, 2025, Swenson rose up to bury a go-ahead, game-winning three-pointer against California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Five nights later against UC Riverside, Swenson seized the moment once again, sinking a game-clinching three with only 0.2 seconds left.

“In my career, I’ve never been associated with two last-second game-winning three-point shots and at the exact same spot. It was absolutely incredible. He just loves the big moment. He’s so ultra-competitive, and that’s what’s going to make him such an amazing, amazing player,” Pasternack said.

When asked about possible comparisons between his game and Swenson’s, Mitchell let out a slight grin.

“He’s a lefty, too, but outside of that, [he’s] just trying to make the right play every time. I think he’s a great player, and he knows where to find his teammates, but also knows when to get it going for himself, so I think that’s pretty similar to myself when I was in Santa Barbara.”

At UC Santa Barbara, Mitchell improved rapidly. He averaged 11.6 points per game (PPG) his first year, increased that number to 16.3 and 20 PPG his next two seasons and finished his 2023-24 collegiate year leading the squad with 580 points and 115 assists, even with a reduction in minutes compared to his sophomore season.

Pasternack emphasized the importance of three-point shooting efficiency in Mitchell’s development toward making it to the NBA.

“Ajay went from 26% his sophomore year [to] 39% his junior year. And that was a really big, big, big part of him getting to the NBA,” Pasternack said.

Mitchell said that as much as shooting is strenuous physical training, there is always a mental component that is just as important in his training. Continuous repetition and shot mechanic work allows him to keep a clear and confident mind during live game situations.

“I know that I put the work in so that when I’m out there, it’s just about shooting and not worrying about if it’s going to be a make or a miss. I’m never trying to force anything and then outside of that, I would just go back to confidence,” Mitchell said.

Based on Mitchell’s statistics for Oklahoma City in a 36-game regular season sample size, he projects to have a long and successful career. Currently, Mitchell is atop his rookie class in both two-point and three-point efficiency, as well as third in box plus minus among players with minimum 25 games played.

In early January, Mitchell sustained a turf toe sprain in his right big toe, the first injury of his career requiring surgery. Through determined rehab and training, Mitchell returned to action and continued to gain the trust of Coach Daigneault, playing in short stints not only in blowout situations, but even early in the first half of the NBA finals against the Pacers.

“The NBA pace actually helped me. You’re forced to make faster decisions and you learn a lot about your own physicality when you’re out there,” Mitchell explained. “From every experience, you really learn that you’re going to drive, get bumped and be like, okay. I know this is going to happen. So you really get to know the game better and read ahead of time.”

Mitchell’s improvements are clear in real time, as he stacked up 24 points and six assists on 10-of-18 shooting just this past Saturday in a summer league game versus the Grizzlies. Pasternack emphasized that he is confident that Mitchell will flourish in the NBA. 

“I think provided he’s healthy — and that really hurt him this year, getting injured. But as long as he’s healthy, I believe Ajay will be a superstar in the NBA, and I’m really excited to watch.”

When asked about his favorite memory as a Gaucho, Mitchell pointed to UCSB’s appearance in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. In what turned out to be his lone Division I March Madness game, Mitchell delivered a strong performance against Baylor, posting 13 points, four assists and two rebounds over 38 minutes.

“That was a great experience of being able to play with my teammates that are my friends and being able to play at that level against Baylor was awesome,” Mitchell said.

Although the Gauchos fell short in March Madness, the intensity of the tournament helped forge the poise Mitchell would later display on basketball’s biggest stage in the NBA Finals. That experience didn’t just shape Mitchell’s mindset, it also set a new standard for teammates like Swenson, who now carries forward that same expectation of winning.

As Mitchell continues his NBA journey with a championship ring and a new three-year, $9 million deal with Oklahoma City, his path from overlooked recruit to NBA champion serves as inspiration for the next generation of Gauchos.