The top-ranked freshman in college basketball is set to miss the entire season with injury. Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr. is set to undergo back surgery and is likely to miss 3-4 months recovering, which would mean he’s sidelined for the Tigers’ entire campaign.
Michael Porter Jr., possible No. 1 NBA draft pick, likely out for season after back surgery
This is a terrible blow for college basketball fans everywhere.
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Here’s the statement from the program:
After Missouri made the announcement that he’d be out, Porter Jr. posted this on Instagram.
Head Coach Cuonzo Martin released a statement along with Porter.
Porter Jr. was considered the No. 1 recruit in the country by Rivals entering the year. He was also in the mix to go No. 1 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. Our latest mock draft had Porter going No. 3 to the Chicago Bulls.
Porter exited Missouri’s opener against Iowa State just two minutes into the game. The injury was apparently not suffered during his limited game time. Porter’s injury was originally reported as a hip ailment, but head coach Cuonzo Martin later said it was his leg.
Missouri is 3-1 on the year without Porter, with a lone loss coming to Utah. The Tigers struggled with DII Emporia State on Monday, winning just 67-62.
Porter’s father was hired as an assistant coach at Mizzou before this season. His younger brother Jontay Porter is also a freshman for the team after reclassifying just before the season.
See More:
