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Mizzou Basketball: What is going on with Michael Porter Jr

By Leigh Oleszczak

PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 7: Michael Porter Jr. #9 of the USA Junior Select Team looks on against R.J. Barrett #6 of the World Select Team during the game on April 7, 2017 at the MODA Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich)
PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 7: Michael Porter Jr. #9 of the USA Junior Select Team looks on against R.J. Barrett #6 of the World Select Team during the game on April 7, 2017 at the MODA Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich) /
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Mizzou basketball fans have been anxiously awaiting to see Michael Porter Jr. dominate on the court. So far, however, that hasn’t happened for the Tigers.

When the Missouri Tigers landed star freshman Michael Porter Jr. last spring, the hype was through the roof. Here was a program who had been one of the most irrelevant Power Five schools in basketball and the hometown kid was going to come in and save the program. It seemed like a “30 for 30” in the making.

All offseason long, Missouri fans were pumped for basketball season, something that hadn’t been the case in a long time. When the football team got off to a 1-5 start (though they’re looking much better now), fans really couldn’t wait for hoops season to begin.

We’re now two games into Mizzou basketball season and Michael Porter Jr. has only played in two minutes over those two games. Both minutes were in the Tigers’ opening night game against the Iowa State Cyclones. Porter was pulled from the game for reasons we didn’t know at the time and hasn’t returned to action since then.

It was announced on Thursday morning that Porter did not travel with the team for their match-up against the Utah Utes, which is beginning to pose the question: What is really going on here?

Porter initially left that Iowa State game due to tweaking his hip in the shoot around beforehand. He didn’t play on Monday night against Wagner though, and while that made sense due to the opponent, should fans begin to worry about their star freshman now?

This kid is going to do great things for Mizzou basketball, but we’ve only seen him score two points in two minutes of play.

Carrington Harrison of 610 Sports’ “The Drive” had a whole segment devoted to this on Tuesday. In that segment, Harrison discussed his opinions on the matter, stating that he felt like Porter was fine, but didn’t want to risk further aggravating his injury, especially against lesser opponents that the team could handle without him.

The theory makes sense. Porter is likely going to be a top pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and pretty much everyone knows it. While he wants to be a good teammate and do right by his squad, he’s not going to jeopardize his future by playing when something doesn’t feel right.

We have no idea what the real story is with Porter at the moment, but his mother was quoted as saying that everything was going to be fine.

"“Everything’s fine,” Michael and Jontay’s mother, Lisa Porter, told The Star on Wednesday. “Everything’s going to be fine. That’s all I’m going to say right now.”More from Missouri TigersNBA Draft Prospects to Watch From Kansas, Missouri, and Kansas StateMissouri Tigers: Key Takeaways From Mizzou’s Black and Gold Spring GameWhy Missouri Tiger’s Tyler Badie Is Worth a Draft SelectionMizzou Wrestling Looks To Take On Iowa StateMizzou Wrestling Knocks Off Tenth Ranked Oklahoma State"

Obviously hearing that from his mother is a good sign, but when will we know more and should fans be worried? That’s the big question right now. This kid is going to do great things for Mizzou basketball, but so far… We’ve only seen him score two points in two minutes of play.

This game against Utah might not seem like a big game, but it definitely is. This will be the first true test for the Tigers, as their first two opponents haven’t been all that great. Iowa State looked great on paper, but after a gross loss to Milwaukee on Monday night, it’s obvious that the Cyclones are going to struggle this year.

The Tigers did what they should against two lesser opponents, but Utah will be a little bit tougher of a team. MU has looked fine without Porter in their two previous games, but how can they hold up against a solid Power Five team?

Also, when should fans really start to worry about this situation? Should they be worried now? Should they not panic until the real games start? Is Michael Porter Jr. going to be as good as advertised? Why can’t Mizzou have nice things? The questions are all lingering, but the answers are ones we don’t have at the moment.

Hopefully Michael Porter Jr. is okay, which is obviously the most important thing. MU fans hope to see him on the court soon, hopefully at full health, and making plays for this Missouri Tigers team.

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