NBA Draft Scouting Report: Wichita State's Craig Porter Jr.
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Craig Porter Jr.
Guard | Wichita State
Height: 6'2” | Weight: 185 lbs
2023 Draft Age: 23.22
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
A five-year college player, Porter Jr. has shown tremendous growth with each season and is now a potential draft pick. He is undersized for a modern guard and is an older prospect, but it's hard to ignore his on-court production.
Porter Jr. was the first player in school history to lead the team in rebounding (6.2), assists (4.94), blocks (1.48) and steals (1.52) in the same season, while also notching the most total points last season. Not only can he score the ball, but he's also a proven facilitator and good positional rebounder. The Wichita State guard is also a quality 3-point shooter, shooting 36.3% from beyond the arc with the majority of those jumpers were off the dribble. He’s also a good finisher through contract and a tough shot-maker off the dribble. Porter Jr. is an effective pick-and-role handler and overall solid creator.
Furthermore, his great vertical pop, quickness, and defensive anticipation makes him a great defensive prospect. He's overall disruptive on that end and produces a high number of blocks and steals, especially for a guard. That end of the ball could end up being his calling card at the next level.
In terms of improvement areas, he could get more consistent as a shooter and smarter with the ball. Turnovers were an issue at times in college, but that is somewhat expected with how much he had the ball in his hands.
Porter Jr. performed well at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament following his recent college campaign and has improved his draft stock since as well. As a project pick, he could end up being a quality backup combo guard at the NBA level.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Potential Second-Round Pick in 2023 NBA Draft.
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