NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Arkansas of last decade
By Joey Loose
2. Bobby Portis – Arkansas
Portis was another highly-touted prospect who chose to stay home and play at Arkansas in 2013. The native of Little Rock was a top 20 prospect at forward and immediately settled into the starting lineup for the Razorbacks. It’s not difficult to say he was the best player that Mike Anderson had during his eight seasons as head coach of the Razorbacks.
He made an immediate impact, leading the team in rebounding in a freshman season where he put up 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. But it’s Portis’s second season that gets all the praise. He was a force on the offensive end, leading the SEC in offensive rebounds and field goals, and also earning SEC Player of the Year for a fantastic season. He was putting up 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds a game, with a 26-point performance against Tennessee in the conference tournament one of the later highlights.
Not only did he receive those accolades, but Portis was also a Second Team All-American. He got the Razorbacks back into the NCAA Tournament, falling in the second round to North Carolina after finishing the season 2nd in the SEC. Forgoing his final two seasons of eligibility, Portis was drafted late in the 1st Round of the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and recently won an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks. Those two seasons at Arkansas were a showcase, and he took full advantage of the audience.