Freshman big man Jontay Porter has elected to withdraw from the 2018 NBA draft and return to Missouri for his sophomore year, the program announced today in a press release.
“We are excited that Jontay will return,” Mizzou head coach Cuonzo Martin said in a statement. “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.
In his freshman year, Porter averaged 9.9 PPG and 6.8 RPG for the Tigers, flashing an ability to protect the rim on the defensive end (1.7 BPG) and to shoot from outside on offense (.364 3PT%). Porter is currently the 42nd-ranked prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com.
While Porter will head back to Missouri for at least one more season, his older brother – Michael Porter Jr. – has entered the draft and is forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility. Despite missing most of the season with a back injury, the elder Porter is viewed as a probable top-10 pick.