Keba Mitchell enjoying homecoming at Alvernia — and so are the Golden Wolves

With little more than a minute to go in Alvernia’s 92-78 win at Albright Saturday afternoon Keba Mitchell found himself alone at midcourt when a long outlet pass arrived.

The 6-4 senior gathered it and went in uncontested for a two-fisted dunk, much to the delight of the Golden Wolves fans section, which erupted in delight.

Next time down the floor Alvernia’s Bobby Mullan, who could do no wrong in the second half, found Mitchell break toward the basket along the left baseline. Mullan set him up for another dunk with a perfect Alley Oop.

Again, ’Wolves fans went wild.

“Super kid,” Alvernia coach Mike Miller said a few minutes later of Mitchell, a stalwart defender at Berks Catholic and now for the ’Wolves. “Kids like him. The teachers like him. Any dunk, or a block (the fans react like that).”

It’s clear that Mitchell, after playing four years at DeSales University, has quickly become a fan favorite at Alvernia. Every time he rejects a shot – which he’s done a team-leading 53 times – the fans go nuts and the guys on his bench spring off their feet.

The understated Mitchell smiles at the notion he’s considered a fan favorite at his new school. He thought he was done playing college basketball after last season wrapped. He graduated in May with a degree in Healthcare Administration and was considering other options.

Miller, who took a big swing at him coming out of high school but missed, went after him hard again. He sold Mitchell on the fact that he could continue to study and work toward a healthcare certificate and do it while living at home – and while playing for a winning team.

Mitchell didn’t take much convincing.

“My time at DeSales was good,” said Mitchell, a 2018 Berks Catholic grad. “I really enjoyed it there. They have a real good program; I definitely miss them, but I just wanted to come home, play in Reading. I wanted to play for Coach Miller, and I knew they would have a good team here.”

The Golden Wolves improved to 16-6 Saturday, 10-3 in Commonwealth Conference play. After completing the season sweep over the Lions (4-9, 7-14) they’re a couple wins away from clinching first place and homecourt advantage in the playoffs.

Mitchell has become a key ingredient of the winning formula. After coming off the bench the first few games he has been a fixture in the post, altering and blocking shots and anchoring a defense Miller says has been the key to his team’s success.

“Our defense has been a constant,” Miller said. “It’s nice to have a center like him who can protect the basket, especially at times when we want to press; we can attack (without fear knowing he’s back there).”

Mitchell played the same role in high school when he anchored the Saints’ most successful team. Casey Jack and Luis Garcia were around to score most of the points. Mitchell was there for the dirty work.

Berks Catholic went 50-11 over his final two seasons and won the Berks Conference and District 3 Class 4A championships his senior season. They matched the school record for wins, going 28-3, and made their deepest penetration in the PIAA Tournament, reaching the state quarterfinals.

Mitchell was a stealth weapon on that team. He wasn’t tall compared to rival centers but his long arms – he has the wingspan of a player 6-8 or 6-9 – and impeccable timing make him a tremendous shot-blocker.

He showed off that skill Saturday, when he swatted away four shots and changed an equal number. He had a solid all-around game, with nine rebounds,  two steals and 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

Alvernia needed everything he could offer because the Lions were looking to spoil their crosstown rival’s bid for first place. The Lions were within 62-61 after Jeremiah Stanton knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:55 remaining.

Malik Green and Mullan took off after that, sparking a 9-0 run that gave Alvernia its first double-digit lead.

Mullan finished with 25 points, 22 in the second half when he knocked down four 3-pointers. Green also scored 25. Jacob Kelly had 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Eric Chamberlain scored 23 points for Albright, which played without its leading scorer, Jordan Guerrero. Guerrero had 19 points in the first game against Alvernia, a 79-70 loss.

“They’re a different team without him,” Miller said of Guerrero, who averages  12.8 points.

Alvernia’s certainly been a different team with Mitchell.

“(When I came here) I didn’t know my role,” he said, “I just knew I’d be able to come in and help contribute any way I could. I knew they had a chance (to win a championship) and that I could help them.

“It’s been great. I’m definitely thankful that Coach texted me and called me and gave me the opportunity here. It’s been great. I’m glad we’re winning, I’m glad we’re all having fun together. I’ve been on a lot of good teams, but this is one of the most closely knit teams I’ve been on. We’re all here for each other.”