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Missouri Tigers freshman star and potential NBA lottery pick Michael Porter Jr. will likely not suit up again for Mizzou this year.
The young phenom hooper underwent a procedure in Dallas, and his recovery time is likely 3-4 months, putting his chances of returning to the court in major jeopardy.
Mizzou Basketball made the announcement of MPJ’s surgery, which was a microdiscectomy of his L3 and L4 spinal discs.
Statement from #Mizzou:
— Mizzou Basketball (@MizzouHoops) November 21, 2017
Michael Porter, Jr. will undergo surgery on Tuesday, Nov. 21, in Dallas, Texas. The procedure, a microdiscectomy of the L3-L4 spinal discs, has a projected recovery time of three-four months and will likely cause him to miss the remainder of the season.
This is obviously a crushing blow for many reasons. First and foremost, we’d like to wish him a speedy and full recovery. He is expected to make a complete one. But, obviously, this type of procedure doesn’t seem like a great one to be undergoing. Back injuries are no joke, athlete or not, so hopefully his athletic career doesn’t get put in jeopardy, either.
For the Tigers, this is obviously a big blow, too. MPJ’s scoring ability was one of the main reasons that optimism was so high in CoMO. Now, they will have to go on without him. There is some talent there, an abundance, and much more than there had been lately. But Porter Jr. was the centerpiece. And without him, they’ll have to march on valiantly.
MPJ’s draft stock may take a hit, too. But, honestly, that’s the least of his concerns and anyone’s right now. We don’t know how this one will play out, so it’s best to put that on the backburner for now.