Heading into this collegiate season, Missouri freshman forward Michael Porter Jr. was viewed as potentially being the No. 1 overall pick in next year's NBA Draft.
However, it appears those aspirations could be pushed back as the 19-year-old has undergone spinal disc surgery that is expected to keep him out for the remainder of the 2017-18 season.
Breaking: Missouri announces No. 1 overall recruit Michael Porter Jr. will miss remainder of season with spinal disc surgery pic.twitter.com/kWMHsHknY4
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 21, 2017
Porter Jr. had missed three straight game due to a hip injury, which turned out to be much more serious than what was originally anticipated. He had suffered the injury just two minutes into the season opener on Nov. 10 against Iowa State.
The typical timetable to recovery from the surgery is three to four months, which will enclose the rest of this season. Although things could change down the line, Porter Jr. will likely take the precautionary route given the type of surgery he has undergone.
He had been ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the nation behind Duke's Marvin Bagley III. Porter Jr. had stated back in July that he may not go the one-and-done route, which may have to be the preferred route to get a collegiate season under his belt to work his way back to form before jumping to the NBA.
Porter Jr. is coming off an impressive senior year at Nathan Hale that included earning the Gatorade Player of the Year for boys basketball, averaging 36.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. He also helped lead his school to the top ranking in the country by winning the state title, finishing with a perfect 29-0 record.
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