Mizzou Basketball: Michael Porter Jr era brought MU back to relevance

Michael Porter Jr has announced he’s entering the NBA draft, ending one of the shortest and greatest era’s in Mizzou Basketball history.

If I had asked any Tiger fan the day after last season ended if they believed they would be disappointed after a 20 win season and NCAA tournament bid I think I would have been laughed at. The Tigers have gone from the laughing stock of college basketball to a respectable team with high expectations. This season would have never been possible without Porter Jr.

That is amazing to say knowing he was on the court for only 53 total minutes. He only scored 30 points and grabbed 20 rebounds as a Tiger, yet he has meant more to the program than players who have scored 1,000 points.

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When Porter Jr announced he was signing with the Tigers he brought immediate respectability to the program. The Tigers instantly became a place the best players in the country could go. It’s no longer the school Otto Porter Jr and Tyler Hansbrough didn’t want to go to.

He didn’t come alone either as he recruited his brother Jontay, Jeremiah Tillmon and Blake Harris as well. Because of Porter Jr, the team was deep enough that even after playing the entire season without him, they made it to the NCAA tournament. After winning only eight total SEC games the previous three seasons, the Tigers won 10 SEC games this season finishing fifth in the conference.

Proving how much the school meant to him, he played the last three games of the season when he didn’t have too.  He brought national attention to the school, gaining advertising and press that is likely worth millions. A school which has had almost nothing but bad press for years spent the entire basketball season only talking about the positives.

I know there were plenty of people who saw Porter Jr, Jontay, TIllmon, Harris and had visions of the Fab Five from Michigan. That was never realistic and was only viable if everything worked out perfectly. I don’t know about you, but I don’t recall anything at Mizzou ever going perfectly. The realistic goal for the season that most fans had was to simply be relevant and make the NCAA tourney. Both of those goals were met making this season a success.

The true key to what Porter meant to the school will show in the next few seasons. The Tigers still could have Jontay on the squad next year and will surely have Tillmon. They are being connected with some top recruits that will hopefully build on the success of this season. If Martin and the program can continue to build and maintain this level of play than we will all look back and remember that the Tigers were brought back from the dead on March 24, 2017; the day Porter Jr signed.