COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) _ Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr. says he is declaring for the NBA draft.
The 6-foot-10 forward made the announcement on Instagram on Monday “after talking it over with my coaches and my family.”
Missouri was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Florida State in the opening round. The freshman scored 16 points in 28 minutes as a reserve, just his third appearance of the season due to a back injury.
Porter played two minutes in the team’s opener, then had lower back surgery Nov. 21. He returned for the SEC Tournament, scoring 12 points in a loss to Georgia.
“I wish I could have been on the floor with my brothers every single night,” Porter wrote. “But I’m so thankful I’ve been a part of such a special group.”
Porter was a McDonald’s All-American in high school after averaging 36.2 points and 13.6 rebounds per game his senior year. He was expected to be a one-and-done player, though the back injury threw some uncertainty into his draft stock.
Photo credit – Mizzou Athletics / Columbia, MO
