Mitch Lightfoot
OVERVIEW
Was a sixth-year super-senior in 2021-22 who was a fan and media favorite during his KU career … Played on two Final Four teams in 2018 and the 2022 NCAA National Championship team … Played in more games, 168, than any other player in KU history. The 168 is fifth all-time in NCAA history … Including his redshirt and COVID seasons, was part of 171 wins while at Kansas, which is more than any other player in school history … Played in 17 NCAA Tournament games for his career, which is a KU career record … Ended ninth on the KU career blocked shots list with 156 … Was born in Kansas City and moved to Arizona as a youth … Graduated from KU with an economics degree in December 2019 (in 3.5 years) and a sport management master’s degree in May 2021 … One of two Jayhawks who were also on the 2018 Final Four team (Chris Teahan).
CAREER HONORS
Academic All-Big 12 First Team [2021]
2021-22 (SUPER SENIOR)
Played in all 40 games with three starts in Kansas 2022 NCAA National Championship season … One of the first players off the bench on the title team … Led Kansas with 34 blocked shots and ranked seventh in the Big 12 is 0.9 blocks per game … Had eight games with two or more blocks on the season … Averaged 9.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg with seven blocked shots in the Big 12 Tournament … Scored a career-high 15 points vs TCU (3/11) in the Big 12 Tournament … Had five blocked shots vs. West Virginia (3/10) in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals … Had 13 points on 6-of-7 FGs vs. Kansas State (2/22) … Pulled down a season-high seven rebounds vs. Kentucky (1/29) … Had nine points in the NCAA Tournament Elite-Eight game vs Miami (FL) (3/27).
2020-21 (SENIOR)
A first sub off the bench in 2020-21 … Led KU with 14 charges taken … Had four or more rebounds nine times in 2020-21 … Led KU in blocked shots in eight games and had two or more blocks in five games … Had 11 points and four rebounds vs. Oklahoma (3/11) in the Big 12 Championship … Posted four points with five rebounds vs. Kansas State (2/2) … Had eight points and four rebounds at Baylor (1/18) … Scored a career-high 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting vs. Omaha (12/11).
2019-20 (REDSHIRT)
Was a redshirt in 2019-20 … Completed undergrad degree in economics in Dec. 2019. 3.5 years.
2018-19 (JUNIOR)
Led KU with 14 charges drawn … Was second on the team with 33 blocked shots … Had seven games with multiple blocked shots … Posted nine games with five or more rebounds, including five in Big 12 play … Pulled down seven rebounds with five points vs. Northeastern (3/21) … Had nine blocked shots in three Big 12 Championship games, including a season-high four against West Virginia (3/15) … Logged a career-high 31 minutes with nine points, five rebounds and three blocks vs. Kansas State (2/25).
2017-18 (SOPHOMORE)
Started seven of 38 games played … Averaged 14.0 minutes, 3.8 points and 3.1 rebounds … Finished second on the team with 54 blocked shots … Ranked eighth in the Big 12 with 1.5 blocked shots per game … Had 13 games with multiple blocked shots, including a career-high six swats at TCU (1/6) … Posted two double figure scoring games with 10 points versus Texas Southern (11/21) and a career-high 11 points the following game against Oakland (11/24) … Had 10 games with five or more rebounds … Pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds vs. Penn (3/18) with nine points in the NCAA Tournament … Started all three games of the Big 12 Championship in place of the injured Udoka Azubuike … Went 22-for-31 (71.0 percent) in his last 11 games … Led Kansas with 16 charges drawn.
ITALY 2017
Started two of four games in KU’s 4-0 tour of Italy in early August … Averaged 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds while on the trip … Pulled down six rebounds in the second game against the Players Group (Aug. 3) … In the following game against the same Players Group team (Aug. 5), had eight points and five rebounds.
2016-17 (FRESHMAN)
Played in 26 games and averaged 3.9 minutes, 0.9 points and 1.0 rebounds per contest … Saw action in 10 Big 12 contests … Scored a career-high five points on 2-of-2 shooting, 1-of-1 from 3-point range, in the Sweet 16 against Purdue (March 23) … Had 11 blocked shots on the season, including two against West Virginia (Feb. 13) and vs. UC Davis (March 17) in the NCAA Tournament opening round … Logged eight minutes in both West Virginia contests (Jan. 24, 2/13) … Played a season-high 14 minutes with a career-high five rebounds vs. UMKC (Dec. 6) … Scored three points with four rebounds vs. UNC Asheville (Nov. 25).
HIGH SCHOOL
Averaged 22.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots in 2015-16 at Gilbert Christian High School in Gilbert, Arizona under head coach Kurt Keener … Named the Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year for 2015-16 … Received the Tough Guy Award by the Arizona Republic following his senior season … Led Gilbert Christian to a 21-6 record his senior year, advancing to the second round of the AIA Division II state tournament … Scored 32 points in the 2016 BallisLife All-America game April 30, at Long Beach City College in California … Averaged 17.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.9 blocked shots in leading Gilbert Christian to the AIA Division II state title his junior season in 2014-15 … Named the player of the game in the 2015 state title contest where he scored 15 points … As a sophomore, averaged 15.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots per contest and was the Southern Arizona Player of the Year and all-section first-team honoree … Averaged 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots per outing and was the only freshman named to the All-Southern Arizona team, earning third-team honors.
PERSONAL
Born Mitchell Marion Lightfoot in Kansas City, Missouri … Son of Matt and Rhonda Lightfoot … Has two younger brothers, Miles and Max, and a younger sister, Rhyann … Moved from Kansas City to Tucson, Arizona, when he was five years old … Graduated from KU with an economics degree in December 2019 and a master’s degree in sport management in May 2021.