The MICDS basketball team is having another tremendous season and part of that success is due to the play of a young man that was a quiet force for the past few seasons but has turned into a vocal leader for the Rams.
Brandon Mitchell-Day joined the elite 1,000-point club a few weeks back and has been the leader on the court and in the classroom for MICDS. For those accomplishments, Mitchell-Day is this week’s HSSC/Scoops with Danny Mac Student-Athlete of the Week.
Mitchell-Day has aided the Rams to a 20-3 record on the year by averaging just over 17 points a game while grabbing 7.6 rebounds a contest. The Rams are currently second in the Metro League with a 7-2 mark with three games remaining in the regular season.
“This year has gone well as we have exceeded many people’s expectations,” said Mitchell-Day. “Not a lot of people thought that we could keep up the pace that we have been setting with Coach Travis Wallace coming here to MICDS and having a very successful last three years. The sophomores and juniors have bought into the program and been willing to be coached hard because Coach Wallace is one of the toughest coaches in the area. With them being able to buckle down and buy into what he is preaching has made things a lot easier and it lets us play so much more aggressively and harder than what we have in the past.
The schedule that the Rams have played this year has been one of the toughest in the area and Mitchell-Day knows that it will help MICDS accomplish their goals of winning a district title and making a deep run in the state playoffs.
“It is good for the young guys because playing teams like that will always get us ready for districts because the playoffs are a different ballgame with the atmosphere,” stated Mitchell-Day. “With COVID last year, we didn’t have the loud and aggressive atmosphere last year that the other players have had. Playing the teams that we have played and seeing everyone progress has been fun to watch.”
Mitchell-Day was quick to point out an example of one of the players that he has seen grow this season due to the schedule that the Rams have played.
“You can look at Jayden Banks especially because he has started to think the game more when we play teams like Westminster, whom we have played twice already,” said Mitchell-Day. “The first time we played Westminster, you could see that he was a little cultured shocked, but as we began to play teams like that, you can see how he has progressed as time has gone on and it is fun to watch.”
Mitchell-Day has seen his game take on a new role this year as in the past, there have been other players that have been the focal point for the Rams.
“Getting to the point that I am at has taken a lot of hard work,” stated Mitchell-Day. “The credit goes to my AAU coaches, Coach Wallace, and my trainers to help me not keep my head down, but just working hard so that hopefully people will notice that I am one of the top players in the area and I think that I have shown that this year.”
Coach Wallace also knows how hard Mitchell-Day has worked to improve his game and how that hard work has carried the Rams to a successful season thus far.
“Brandon brings a lot to our team,” said Wallace. “He is a player that can do everything on the floor. His versatility allows our other players to play at a high level. Along with his versatility, Brandon has a very high basketball IQ. It is somewhat like having a coach on the floor.”
Being a leader on the court, in the locker room, and the classroom is a new experience for Mitchell-Day, but he has attacked the role like he attacks teams on the floor and with his academics.
“For three years, I have been one of the younger guys on the team, but this year, I am one of the bigger, stronger, and older players on the team, so getting that leadership mentality was pretty rough at the beginning of the year but Coach Wallace has coached me up and has helped me get a grasp of what being a leader is,” said Mitchell-Day.
The senior’s leadership has not gone unnoticed by Coach Wallace and the coaching staff as he has seen Mitchell-Day flourish in the role.
“Brandon’s leadership this year has been great,” stated Wallace. “He does an outstanding job leading us on the court this year. He holds all his teammates accountable, and the players play hard for him. Off the court, he leads in the classroom as well. He is the definition of what a student-athlete is. Academics is his top priority. He has committed to Dartmouth, so that shows how committed he is to academics.”
His commitment to an Ivy League school was not an easy one, but for someone so committed to his studies, it was the right decision.
“It was the education piece that helped make my decision,” said Mitchell-Day. “The Ivy League has a really big name to it, so carrying that name if someday I decide that basketball is not in my future, just having that Ivy League stamp will always open up new possibilities for me.”
Mitchell-Day is also quite successful in the classroom with a 3.1-grade point average and has learned that balancing both success on the court and the classroom is a must at MICDS.
“It has not been easy, but MICDS has really prepared me to take on that challenge of keeping my grades up and also excel on the court as well,” stated Mitchell-Day. “It goes to the coaches and the teaching staff here at the school.”
Congratulations to this week’s HSSC/Scoops with Danny Mac Student-Athlete of the Week from MICDS, Brandon Mitchell-Day!
Jim Powers has been covering prep sports in the St. Louis area for 15+ years and a part of the Missouri State High School Activities Association Championship Broadcasts for the past 11 years. Powers is also a part of the Fox 2 Verlo Mattress Prep Zone Friday nights at 10:10 during the football and basketball seasons. If you have a prep sports story, please contact Jim at japowers2421@yahoo.com. Follow Jim at @hssportscaravan
