Mark Mitchell is returning to Duke for his sophomore season.

Mitchell made that announcement on Thursday afternoon. The decision comes shortly after fellow freshman Tyrese Proctor also announced he will be back in Durham for the 2023-24 season.

Here’s Mitchell’s announcement:

Mitchell was a steady contributor throughout the season for Duke. The former 5-star prospect started all 35 of Duke’s games and averaged 9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in those contests.

Duke won the ACC Tournament title in 2023 with Jon Scheyer in his 1st year in charge. The Blue Devils will hope to take another big step forward next season.

What this means for Duke

Looking ahead to next season, Mitchell could have an even bigger role with the Blue Devils.

Duke is bringing in several 5-star forwards in the class of 2023, but Mitchell will be expected to retain his starting role. Duke’s incoming recruiting class includes Mackenzie Mgbako, Sean Stewart and TJ Power. Overall, Duke has the No. 2 recruiting class in the country per 247Sports Composite rankings.

Duke is expected to lose freshmen Dereck Lively, Dariq Whitehead and Kyle Filipowski to the NBA this year. Additionally,  Jacob Grandison, Kale Catchings and Max Johns are out of eligibility.

Their departures will give Scheyer and his staff plenty of room to make additional offers to potential difference-makers in the transfer portal. And with Proctor and Mitchell set to return as well, Duke should also have plenty of continuity in the starting lineup next season.