When Will Michael Porter Jr. Return? Missouri Star Likely Back Soon

The Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team was dealt a terrible blow to start the season when forward Michael Porter Jr.’s season ended after two minutes. Porter was supposed to be the star who brought Mizzou back from years of despair, a McDonald’s All-American who would lift the Tigers to new heights for a season before going to the NBA as a top 2018 draft pick.

Instead, a minor miracle occurred and the Tigers found ways to win without Porter. A tenacious defense put together by head coach Cuonzo Martin has the Tigers battling it out for second place in the SEC and putting together an NCAA Tournament-worthy resume. Even better for Mizzou is that the team might get its star player back before long.

Porter even said as much recently. In his mind, he can and will play this season.

Unfortunately for Porter, the Tigers and their fans, it will probably not happen in their next two games, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Martin said in a radio interview that Porter would definitely not play Saturday against LSU and almost certainly would not play Tuesday against Ole Miss.

Porter had back surgery on Nov. 21 and has not practiced since. He hopes to get cleared for practice soon, but the timetable remained uncertain, per the Post-Dispatch report. According to Dick Vitale, Porter dunked in a shootaround, so he can pull off some of the requisite moves already.

Porter’s return would be a huge boost for the Tigers, winners of five straight. Analysts feel good about their chances of making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years, as Mizzou has been competitive in a good conference. If Porter came back this season, they might be a trendy pick in the tournament. A quality defense bolstered by a natural scorer who is seen as a top five NBA 2018 draft pick could make some noise in the postseason.