Post by jhb on Jun 16, 2021 12:25:14 GMT -5
Terry Porter
PG
6'3"
195
22
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Porter is a late riser in this class. A high school forward who was under-recruited and ended up going to D-III Wisconsin-Stevens Point where he became an NAIA legend. Porter was the only player at his level who was invited to the 1984 Olympic trials. Porter fought through a bout with chicken pox to make it to the final 20 in trials before being let go because of the heavy volume of more experienced guards in camp but he was impressive; Coach Bob Knight complimented his ability to compete at such a high level despite coming from the D-III ranks. Scouts have taken notice and are most complimentary of his tenacious defense, his high energy and hustle, and his shooting touch.
Porter, at worst, should be able to stick in TMBSL because of his defensive ability. As they say, hustle is free, and Porter has it in bunches. He may not be as elite in terms of box score production like other guards in the class, but he has tremendous defensive instincts. His positioning is outstanding, his footwork is very smooth, and he anticipates and mirrors the movements of his matchups well. He renders screens effectively useless with his ability to dodge them like they aren't even there and he's able to do that because of elite quickness. He has the strength to handle switching off on to larger wings without his size disadvantage being too much of an issue. He also does good work as a rebounder on the defensive end, which will set him apart from other point guards who make no effort in that department.
Porter has a lot of offensive upside. He was tremendous in college at taking smart shots and being efficient from the floor. While he arrived as an inconsistent jump shooter, he has developed in his time at college into one of the best. He did a fantastic job of bullying his way into the paint and making shots around the rim and will have to learn to adjust to doing that around much more talented players. Either way he'll be able to fall back onto his shooting ability, as he has shown he has the ability to make shots from anywhere on the court, elevating well and making his shots off the catch or the dribble. He is an emerging playmaker and has grown in that regard every year, learning better and better how to create looks for his teammates. He should have the ability to be a true point guard at the next level. Scouts think his handle is good enough to stick at point guard but that has been the biggest concern about him on the offensive end to date.
Porter has tremendous athletic abilities and as a player from the lower ranks, scouts speculate he may be one of the bigger potential plays in this class.
