COLUMBIA, Mo. _ Missouri star freshman Michael Porter Jr. has been cleared to practice. That means the 6-foot-10 forward could play for MU this season before he likely enters the NBA draft.
Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin said Porter would be worked into practice Friday but had no update on a potential return to game action. For now, Porter will participate in "non-contact up and down" activities.
"We'll see how that goes. Then we'll progress from there," Martin said. "I couldn't tell you when he'll step on the floor, if he steps on the floor."
Porter, the former No. 1 recruit in the country, played just two minutes in Missouri's season opener against Iowa State, then had back surgery later in November. Mizzou said then that Porter would require 3 to 4 months to recover from the procedure and would "likely" miss the season. He visited with his surgeon, Andrew Dossett, in Dallas on Thursday, when he received full clearance to resume basketball.
Porter had said this was the first serious injury he had experienced during his basketball career. The back surgery, a microdiscectomy of the L3-L4 spinal discs, addressed a lingering injury that first occurred about two years ago, during a practice with Porter's then-AAU team, MoKan Elite.
His return comes as the Tigers (18-10) look to solidify their NCAA Tournament bid. They have three regular-season games remaining, starting with one at Kentucky on Saturday. Martin said Porter could wear a uniform for that game, if it made the freshman feel good. Porter was not made available to reporters Friday.
"Maybe I should say he's playing," Martin joked. "That would get them off balance."
Pundits figured Missouri would be an average team without the potential top-five NBA draft pick, and junior forward Kevin Puryear said that frustrated Missouri's other players. They have established an identity while Porter has been sidelined. They have won with defense, and graduate transfer Kassius Robertson's All-SEC worthy season has been a pleasant surprise for MU.
But if Porter returns to play at the level most anticipated before this season began, he could fix Missouri's greatest weaknesses.
The Tigers at times struggle to score, and he was one of the best offensive players in the country in high school. Mizzou has also lacked enough reliable ball handlers late in games, and Porter would help address that issue, too.
Martin said the offense he implemented during the preseason, when Porter was practicing and expected to play, is not much different from the one the Tigers use now. Martin believes in utilizing all five players on the floor for offense, and Porter's versatility makes him capable of easily fitting into what the Tigers are already doing, Martin said.
But first Porter must prove to Martin that he is healthy enough to play in a game.
"The most important thing is if he's healthy enough to practice, go through, bang up and down," Martin said. "Fall down. Take a charge. All those things. Then I'll decide between the doctors, trainers, (Missouri strength coach) Nicodemus (Christopher), all those things _ are we good? Then we're good."
Until then, the speculation about Porter's return will continue to hang over Missouri, which is pursuing its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2013.
Martin acknowledged that outside discussion regarding Porter's possible return could pose a distraction as his team prepares to secure a couple more conference wins that would solidify MU's postseason resume. But his players have repeatedly shrugged off that suggestion.
"It is what it is," Martin said. "We can only control what we can control."
Then, about two minutes later, once Martin had spent the majority of his weekly news conference discussing his star freshman, the normally patient coach decided he wanted to change topics.
"Any questions about Kentucky?" he asked.
