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Matt Mitchell and Jordan Schakel are Turning Pro
The Aztecs’ star senior duo have played their final game at SDSU
Contact/Follow @wadleigh_matt24 & @MWCwire
Matt Mitchell and Jordan Schakel: Thank You
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. For Matt Mitchell and Jordan Schakel, this saying couldn’t be more telling.
While it’s been no more than two weeks after the San Diego State men’s basketball season ended at the hands of Syracuse in the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament, it feels like just yesterday.
The past four years have been filled with memories, hopes, accomplishments, accolades, and- most importantly- championships.
The past four years have been full of enjoyment, excitement, and pure bliss, especially watching a team that lost just seven games in two full seasons.
However, the end is here for the Aztecs’ talented senior duo of Mitchell and Schakel, who defined everything that this program is built on.
It’s nearly impossible to summarize what these two individuals mean to the team, the school, and the fanbase. However, let’s give it a whirl.
Jordan Schakel
https://twitter.com/jordanschakel/status/1376641905119793154?s=20
The four-year senior came into the program in 2017 and immediately you knew he was special. Sure, he didn’t start a single game that year, and that’s fine.
What he brought was contagious and is simply something you can’t teach. He was a gym rat, a workhorse, and a true motivator to everybody around him.
He fought game in and game out, no matter what the score was, and no matter who the opponent was.
Schakel will live in Aztecs’ record books, finishing with the third-most three-pointers made in school history, behind legends Tony Ross and Brandon Heath.
The dude can flat-out shoot the ball, and that’s something that will earn him at least decent consideration at the next level.
https://twitter.com/Aztec_MBB/status/1348119215023165444?s=20
While the Aztecs couldn’t get that illustrious NCAA tournament win for their seniors, Schakel can proudly host some MWC titles in his room. He can hang his jersey on his wall and know that he defined what San Diego State basketball is: grit, toughness, and physicality.
His energy and defense were tremendous, his ability to do whatever he needed was second-to-none. He found ways to help the team win, and is a huge reason why this group was a top 10 team last season and a top 25 squad for much of this season.
Jordan, for everything you have done for the Aztecs, thank you.
Matt Mitchell
https://twitter.com/iammattmitch11/status/1377421462189957120?s=20
Where do we begin?
Unlike Schakel, Mitchell came in as a freshman and was immediately thrust into the starting lineup. In fact, in his first two years, he started all but one game for the Aztecs.
Mitchell averaged double figures in every single year in Aztecs red and black.
For what it’s worth, I think this dunk will go down as one of the greatest Aztec moments of all-time.
https://twitter.com/RobDauster/status/1227468238625366018?s=20
Mitchell- like Schakel- never quit. Down 20, down 30, it didn’t matter. These guys gave their all, they poured their heart and soul out for San Diego State and the Aztecs fans.
Mitchell himself was seen visibly upset during the Syracuse game and did everything in his power to find a way to stop the Orange.
He can simply do it all: shoot, drive, pass, defend, rebound, dunk, play off the ball, you name it. His skill set, his size, his energy and grit, his toughness, all of that is what NBA coaches look for in a player.
Mitchell’s name is cemented in Aztecs lore for years, maybe even decades, and is surrounded by names such as Brandon Heath and Chase Tapley, who themselves were among the best Aztecs to ever step foot at the San Diego State campus.
Matt Mitchell is a true professional. He and Schakel are nearly identical in personality. They sacrifice and fight till the last buzzer, they do whatever the coaches ask them, and they put this team on their backs when it’s needed most.
It’s without question that Matt Mitchell will go down in history as one of the top 10- possibly even top 5- Aztecs players of all-time.
Matt Mitchell, thank you for everything.
Matt and Jordan
It’s not over. Unfortunately for Aztecs fans, there won’t be another time they get to see you put on the State jersey and play at Viejas Arena. However, this is only the beginning.
What these two seniors have brought Aztec fans for the past four years is nothing short of sensational and will forever be entrenched in the hearts and minds of fans everywhere.
Matt and Jordan, thank you and good luck in your future endeavors.
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