Busting Brackets
Fansided

USC Basketball: 2019 NBA Draft profile of Kevin Porter Jr.

By Jason Burgess

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: USC Trojans mascot Tommy Trojan stands on the court during the team's semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Oregon Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trojans won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: USC Trojans mascot Tommy Trojan stands on the court during the team's semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Oregon Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trojans won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 4
Next
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 10: USC Trojans cheerleaders perform during the championship game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament between the Trojans and the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena on March 10, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 75-61. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 10: USC Trojans cheerleaders perform during the championship game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament between the Trojans and the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena on March 10, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 75-61. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

An enigmatic guard from USC basketball is heading to the NBA after one season. Here is a look at potential first-round pick Kevin Porter Jr.

In most any major league that has a draft, teams can be divided into two categories; those that draft on potential and what a player might become in the future and those that draft based on what a player has already done and how that might fit into their philosophy. Even though this prospect only played one season at USC basketball, there may not be a potential draftee that people have more polarizing opinions of than guard Kevin Porter Jr.

Porter Jr.’s only season under coach Andy Enfield was a roller coaster, to say the least. The 6-foot-4 guard was a five-star recruit out of recruit and ranked in the top-30 nationally according to 247Sports. In the early portion of the season, he was averaging 14 points per game before he missed most of December with a thigh injury. He returned for a game against Oregon State on January 10th where he scored just five points.

After that game, he was suspended indefinitely for what was termed “personal conduct issues”, a suspension that would last just two games. After returning from the suspension, he showed flashes of what he showed in November, but wasn’t the same player, having only reached the 14 points he averaged in November three times since.

It is those early flashes and the acumen that got him ranked inside the top-30 incoming freshmen nationally that teams are weighing against the red flags that got him suspended during the season and why he struggled after returning from his suspension. Here is a look at what Porter Jr. brings to the table.

Home/NBA Draft News