Wichita State’s Craig Porter gains NBA traction with performance at PIT tournament
If Craig Porter Jr. wasn’t on the radar for NBA teams before, then his performance this past week at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament likely changed that.
In a tournament featuring 64 of the top senior college basketball players in the country, the Wichita State point guard managed to turn heads with his defense and leaping ability. He tied the 70-year-old tournament’s record for steals with 10 in three games on top of averaging 9.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 blocks.
“I really just wanted to get my name out there as much as I could and put myself in the best position to get to the next level,” Porter said. “I think I showed I’m a player who can do it all. I don’t necessarily need to score or need the ball. I can still influence the game defensively. I can rebound. I can really do whatever a team needs me to do to help them win.”
Porter earned all-conference honors after he averaged 13.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks this past season, while registering just the second triple-double by a Shocker in the past half-century. Despite the success, Porter is currently not considered in contention to be among the 60 draft picks of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Even if he doesn’t end up being drafted, Porter’s breakout performance in Virginia has created a buzz about his game. He said he met with eight different NBA teams while at the PIT, which could lead to an invitation to the NBA G League Elite Camp next month in Chicago and to NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in July.
A Sports Illustrated recap of the event labeled Porter “the most intriguing point guard prospect in PIT,” while NBA draft experts on social media took notice of his 34.5-inch vertical, which was the highest measured among the player pool, and ability to fill up the stat sheet after a game where he finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and five steals.
“That’s what this is all about, building your name up from nothing,” said Porter, who has signed with agent Ryan Straining from the Devore Sports Group. “Hopefully I can get a Summer League spot, but I’m just going to keep working. I really just wanted to get as much knowledge on what I needed to do to get to that next level. What I need to work on, my strengths, my weaknesses. Just getting as much information as possible.”
Following the tournament, Porter returned to Wichita, where he is finishing an internship and is on track to graduate with his degree in May. He plans on doing most of his training in Wichita, but could move back to his hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana, after getting his degree, depending on where workouts might lead him.
He’s focused on becoming a professional basketball player, but said he still reflects fondly on his three-year career with the Shockers. He was on the WSU team that overcame a coaching change and played during a pandemic to lead the program to its first American Athletic Conference championship and back to the NCAA tournament. Although the Shockers didn’t have as much success as he wanted his final two years, he says he is proud of what he and his teammates accomplished.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the way we handled everything,” Porter said. “It was just a blessing to even be in the position that I was. I can’t thank coach (Isaac) Brown and the coaching staff enough for giving me an opportunity to lead and do what I can do. I thrived in that role and I tried to do the best I could.”
Porter was disappointed to see Brown, who finished with a 48-34 record in three seasons, fired so quickly after this past season. Brown has since been replaced by Oral Roberts coach Paul Mills.
Brown called Porter in the immediate aftermath of his firing and promised to help him in whatever way he could become a pro. Brown has since kept that promise to Porter, as the star player has remained in close contact with his former head coach with Brown even playing a central role in helping Porter be included in the PIT field.
“That says so much about his character that he’s still willing to help me out like that,” Porter said. “He has been a blessing and I’m so thankful for him. I have to give him the most credit out of anybody because he’s done nothing but help me thrive since I’ve come to Wichita. I can’t even thank him enough. Everybody knows he’s a good guy, but he really is a lot better coach than what fans think. He never had a losing record and all I can say is that I’ve got nothing but respect and love for him.”
Another topic that Porter touched on was his willingness to play for the AfterShocks, Wichita State’s alumni team that competes in The Basketball Tournament every summer. It’s not likely Porter plays this summer with him trying to make an impression on pro scouts for his first landing spot, but he said he is more than up for the challenge if needed.
“I would for sure play with them in the TBT,” Porter said. “I already told them, ‘If y’all need a point guard, let me know.’ I ain’t opposed to doing it at all. It will bring me back to Wichita and this is my second home. It would be fun to play in front of everybody at Koch Arena again.”
