Craig Porter Jr.

Craig Porter Jr.
Porter with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023
No. 9 – Cleveland Charge
PositionPoint guard
LeagueNBA G League
Personal information
Born (2000-02-26) February 26, 2000 (age 24)
Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolSouth
(Terre Haute, Indiana)
College
NBA draft2023: undrafted
Playing career2023–present
Career history
2023–presentCleveland Cavaliers
2024–presentCleveland Charge
Career highlights and awards
  • Third-team All-AAC (2023)
  • NJCAA national champion (2019)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Craig Porter Jr. (born February 26, 2000) is an American basketball player for the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League, on assignment from the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Vincennes Trailblazers and the Wichita State Shockers.

Early life and high school career

Porter Jr. was born on February 26, 2000, and grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he attended Terre Haute South Vigo High School. During high school, he was named to the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association's Senior All-State Team and lead his team to the 4A state quarterfinals. He is not related to Michael Porter Jr, 2023 world champion with the Denver Nuggets. [1]

College career

Vincennes

Porter Jr. started his collegiate career with the Vincennes Trailblazers, where in two seasons with the Trailblazers he helped lead them to a combined 62–7 record and a NJCAA national championship in 2019.[2][3] After being with the Trailblazers for two seasons, Porter would decide to commit to Wichita State.[4][5]

Wichita State

2020–21 season

In his first season with the Shockers, he would play in 19 games, starting in two of them, where he would average 2.1 points per game, 2.1 rebounds per game, 1.5 assists per game, and 12.9 minutes per game.[6] After the conclusion of the season he would enter the transfer portal but would return to the Shockers.[7]

2021–22 season

In his second year at Wichita State, he would play in 25 games, starting in 24, in which he averaged 7.3 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, per game, 3.6 assists per game, and 26.9 minutes per game.[8] After the end of the season, Porter Jr. would enter his name into the transfer portal.[9] However he would return after two former Wichita State baseball players formed a NIL (Name Image and Likeness Collective) called Armchair Strategies.[10][11]

2022–23 season

On February 26, 2023, Porter Jr. had his best career game posting a triple double, recording 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, while also adding three steals in a 83–76 over Tulane.[12] Porter Jr. finished the season playing 31 games, starting in 30, while putting up 13.5 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, 4.9 assists per game, and 33.6 minutes per game.[13] For his performance on the year, he would be named to the Third Team All-AAC conference team.[14] After the conclusion of the season, Porter Jr. announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility to declare for the NBA draft.[15][16]

Professional career

After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft, Porter signed a two-way contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 7, 2023.[17][18][19] On November 19, he recorded 21 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds off the bench in a 121–109 win over the Denver Nuggets.[20] On February 14, 2024, he signed a standard contract with the Cavaliers.[21]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023–24 Cleveland 51 6 12.7 .509 .353 .732 2.1 2.3 .4 .3 5.6
Career 51 6 12.7 .509 .353 .732 2.1 2.3 .4 .3 5.6

References

  1. ^ "Craig Porter Jr. - Men's Basketball". Wichita State Athletics. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  2. ^ "VINCENNES UNIVERSITY TRAILBLAZERS WIN FOURTH MEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP". Vincennes University Athletics. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  3. ^ "Craig Porter Jr". Whicita State Athletics. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  4. ^ "2020-2021 Wichita State Transfers Playing". Basketball.RealGM. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  5. ^ Rocha, Taylor. "Junior-college point guard Craig Porter commits to Wichita State". KSN-TV. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  6. ^ "2020-21 Wichita State Shockers Men's Roster and Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  7. ^ Marty, Sean. "Craig Porter Jr. enters the transfer portal". The Sunflower. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  8. ^ "2021-22 Wichita State Shockers Men's Roster and Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  9. ^ "Craig Porter Jr. becomes the latest Shocker in the portal". KAKE. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  10. ^ Marty, Sean. "Craig Porter Jr. returns to WSU due to new NIL Collective". The Sunflower. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  11. ^ "NIL collective inks first deal, Shocker PG Craig Porter returning to Wichita State". KWCH. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  12. ^ "Porter's triple-double leads Wichita State past Tulane 83-76". AP News. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  13. ^ "2022-23 Wichita State Shockers Men's Roster and Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  14. ^ Henderson, Matt. "Wichita State's Porter named to all-AAC third team". KWCH. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  15. ^ "ROUNDUP: Craig Porter declares for NBA draft". Tribune-Star. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  16. ^ "MBB: Porter declares for NBA Draft". Hutch Post. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  17. ^ "Cavaliers Sign Emoni Bates, Isaiah Mobley, and Craig Porter Jr. to Two-Way Contracts". NBA.com. July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  18. ^ Eldrige, Taylor (June 23, 2023). "Wichita State's Craig Porter Jr. agrees to two-way NBA contract with Cleveland Cavaliers". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  19. ^ "WSU's Craig Porter Jr. joining Cleveland Cavaliers on two-way deal". Our Community Now. June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  20. ^ "Darius Garland, Craig Porter Jr. lead Cleveland Cavaliers to win over Denver Nuggets". Akron Beacon Journal. November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  21. ^ "Cavaliers Convert Craig Porter Jr. to Standard NBA Contract". NBA.com. February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024.