One of the top prospects for next year's NBA Draft, Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr., is expected to miss the remainder of the college basketball season. Porter, the #1 overall recruit, was injured just two minutes into the season opener on November 10th against Iowa State and missed his third consecutive game last night.
Today, the team announced that the 6'10 forward will miss remainder of season with spinal disc surgery, which has a projected time table of three to four months.
The team just released the following statement,
"Michael Porter, Jr. will undergo surgery on Tuesday, Nov. 21, in Dallas, Texas. The procedure, a microdiscectomy of the L3 and L4 spinal discs, has a projected recovery time of three-four months and will likely cause him to miss the remainder of the season. Michael is expected to make a complete recovery, and the Mizzou Men's Basketball program wishes Michael the best during this process."
Statement from head coach Cuonzo Martin: "Our top priority as a program is the well-being of our student-athletes, so Michael beginning this process to be 100 percent healthy is important to all of us. Our focus has been on Michael's well-being, just like every other player in our locker room. We will continue to work every day to build Mizzou Basketball into a program to be proud of. We're preparing now for a trip that is a tremendous opportunity. I'm excited to get after it in Orlando."
Statement from Michael Porter, Jr.: "I really appreciate the support of my family and the Mizzou Men's Basketball program as I begin this process. I'm thankful for all the kind words and messages I've received from fans. Those mean a lot to me. I cannot wait to be completely healthy and playing the game I love, once again."
Porter averaged 36.2 points and 13.6 rebounds per game as a senior in high school in Washington, and was named a McDonald's All-American after signing with Missouri.
He was the #1 ranked recruit coming out of high school until Duke's Marvin Bagley III reclassified into the Class of 2017, but both are considered to be the top picks in the 2018 NBA Draft.
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