Just hours before the deadline to withdraw his name from the NBA Draft and preserve his college eligibility, Missouri forward Jontay Porter has done just that. Missouri announced in a press release Wednesday that Porter will return to Missouri for his sophomore season.
The return of Porter, who averaged 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game as a freshman, should instantly benefit Missouri’s 2018 roster. Porter reclassified as a recruit and skipped his senior year of high school to join his brother Michael Porter Jr. at Missouri last season. Despite his youth, at times, he was Missouri’s best player. He will join fellow sophomore Jeremiah Tilmon and senior Kevin Puryear in what figures to be one of the more formidable frontcourts in the SEC in 2018-2019.
“We are excited that Jontay will return,” Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said in the school's release. “He had a great experience going through the pre-Draft process, got the feedback that he needed to do what is best for him and he will learn from it to improve in all areas of his game. Jontay has the potential to make a big jump from his freshman season and he’ll be a great leader for us on and off the court next year.”
Porter declared for the draft on April 5, but he did not hire an agent, preserving his eligibility to return to college. However, sources close to Porter’s family said that, if NBA teams indicated Porter would likely be selected in the first round, he would hire an agent and remain in the draft. Porter appeared in the first round of multiple mock drafts, and the consensus seemed to be that he was more likely to remain in the draft than return to school.
At the NBA Combine, however, Porter did not test well in several agility drills, and he did not participate in 5-on-5 scrimmages, which may have hurt his draft stock. Porter recorded the slowest time of all players invited in the three-quarter-court sprint, and he also had the highest body fat percentage of all players in attendance. For the first time since he declared for the draft, rumors began to swirl that Porter was leaning toward a return to school.
Porter’s return to school could also be motivated by concerns about his readiness to handle the NBA lifestyle. Porter’s father and Missouri assistant coach, Michael Porter Sr., told PowerMizzou on a recent podcast that non-basketball concerns would be “a huge part” of Porter’s decision. Porter will turn 19 in November.
“Jontay and Michael are 18 and 19, and they’ll be in the locker room with grown men, who, some of them, have grown-man vices,” Porter Sr. said. “And dad wont be there to help you navigate that whole deal. So that’s a big consideration.”
Missouri kept a scholarship open for Porter to return, so no other player will be asked to leave the roster to make room. Porter, who averaged 14 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in the Tigers’ final six games of the season a year ago, was named the SEC co-Sixth Man of the year a season ago, and is a likely candidate for inclusion on the preseason all-SEC team.
