COLUMBIA, Mo. _ He followed his older brother to college, and now Missouri freshman forward Jontay Porter has joined Michael Porter Jr. in declaring himself eligible for the NBA draft.
Michael Porter Jr. declared for the draft on March 26 and signed with Priority Sports. Jontay is leaving open the door for a possible return, as he won't hire an agent immediately.
"While I am not making any final decisions at this point," Jontay Porter said in a statement, "I am not hiring an agent and will be diligent in complying with all NCAA rules to ensure that I maintain my eligibility to compete at the NCAA level for Mizzou in the future ... "
The NCAA's deadline to rescind one's name from the NBA draft and retain college eligibility is May 30.
After reclassifying in August and skipping his senior year of high school to join Missouri, Jontay Porter had an impressive season as one of college basketball's youngest players. He averaged 9.9 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range.
Porter is built for the modern NBA. He can handle the ball well for a 6-foot-11 forward and shows a high IQ for the game, especially for a freshman. Former Washington coach Lorenzo Romar, who recruited Porter to Washington before he signed with MU, said that Porter has the IQ of a 25-year-old player. Romar now coaches at Pepperdine.
He's also proven to be an elite passer, and has drawn comparisons to Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green for his ability to stuff the stat sheet.
Said one NBA scout, "Jontay exceeded expectations this year. He will have to continue to round out his game, but he's better than what people give him credit for and is more than a stretch-four."
Despite his strong season, Porter has yet to show up in a respected mock draft such as DraftExpress, which doesn't list him in its two-round mock draft.
The 2019 draft is widely considered to be weaker than June's, and Porter could be a lottery pick next year should he opt to return for his sophomore season. DraftExpress has Porter going No. 11 to the New Orleans Pelicans in its 2019 mock draft.
It remains to be seen what happens with assistant coach Michael Porter Sr. If both of his sons turn pro, he's not expected to remain on coach Cuonzo Martin's Tigers staff. If Jontay Porter returns, Porter Sr. could stay on for another year.
