From big city dreams to small town spirit: Jordan Mizell makes his mark as a Texan

BY RILEY HETHERINGTON

Multimedia Journalist

Not many high school athletes get very close to an undefeated district season. But for Jordan Mizell, he not only had an undefeated district season, he capped it off with a UIL state championship, making Plano East High School the first team in Texas high school basketball 6A history to finish a perfect 40-0 season.

Mizell was a part of this historic season and was quickly recognized by the coaching staff at Tarleton State, including storied head coach Billy Gillespie.

“The most important thing is winning. That's what I do,” Gillespie said. “It makes you pay attention when a team is 40-0, and you play a big role in it.”

Mizell was not a highly ranked prospect coming out of high school, but Gillespie saw a diamond in Mizell and knew he would be a perfect fit for the Texans.

“He's tough, he's smart, he's a real good teammate. He's very, very, very competitive,” Gillespie said. “He loves to win. And so, all those kinds of things kind of translate. It's all about what a guy's able to do as far as being a smart player and having a big heart. And no one has a bigger heart than Jordan. And he's learning to be even a better player as he goes into his sophomore year. So, we're excited about him.”

Jumping from the highest level of Texas high school basketball to the Division I may not be the easiest jump, but Mizell worked hard on his craft to fit into Coach Gillespie’s offense. 

“The biggest adjustment I had to make was to learn how to fit in by being flexible and doing what the coach asks of you,” said Mizell. “Coming from high school where I never played point guard to starting as a point guard here at the Division I level was an adjustment I had to make quickly.”

Being a part of a championship team is always fun, but being a part of the first undefeated season in the highest level of classification in Texas is impressive for Mizell. It was another blessing.

 “The feeling I had to go undefeated the entire season and win the state championship with the same guys I had grown up with since elementary meant the world to me,” Mizell said.

Mizell, heading into his second year at Tarleton, is having fond memories of a historic Plano East team and is pushing to “find another group I can make history with.” While he faces new challenges, he is confident in not only his abilities but his team’s abilities as well.

 Coming off a strong freshman year, he is ready to take the reins of the team and continue on his strong career as a Tarleton State Texan. 

“I feel like this team we have this year has already built a strong bond, and it would mean the world to me for this group to make history as well,” Mizell said.  

For Mizell, leadership is something he was built for, leading a team coming from a powerhouse high school to a hard-working mid-major in Tarleton State. 

The adjustment from high school basketball to Division I college basketball was not the easiest transfer for Mizell, but he has been doing everything he can to become a leader. 

The lead-by-example approach I have is how I’ve earned the respect and trust of teammates who are older than me,” Mizell said. “A bad leader is someone who just talks guys through things but doesn’t do it themselves and goes hard on themselves… Most competitive guys will always think, ‘If he can do it, I can do it.’ So pushing myself also pushes my teammates to go just as hard, which helped me earn their respect.”

Mizell and the Texans are set to open the new EECU Center with an exhibition game against the TCU Horned Frogs on Sunday, October 19, 2025.