Last year’s rendition of the Pepperdine Waves featured some highly productive players. Unfortunately, coach Lorenzo Romar was unable to lead said players to more than a 13-20 record. One such player was Jevon Porter. The younger brother of Michael Porter Jr. of the Denver Nuggets is no longer on Pepperdine as he has followed Romar to Loyola Marymount. Roman is an assistant coach for Loyola Marymount now as they both remain in the WCC. The outline of the ideal modern, stretch forward is there. Porter must now take the next step as he suits up for a new program.
West Coast Conference Player Spotlight: Jevon Porter
Jevon Porter By the Numbers
Porter missed time last year with an undisclosed injury that limited him to 21 appearances, 18 of which were starts. At a glance his statline was impressive as it consisted of 16.2 points, 5.9 boards and a block per game averages. There is no doubt the baseline of production and the six-foot-eleven frame scream NBA upside. He eclipsed the 20-point threshold seven times and managed to hit multiple threes in nine games. Arguably the most important element of Porter’s development is grounded in his defensive development. He averaged exactly one block per game and was just under a steal per game. If the percentages from the floor hold up, a double-double average could be on the table if he also shows more rebounding prowess for the coming season.
It Runs in the Family
The Porter family has an elite pedigree when it comes to the hardwood. Both of his older brothers made the NBA, and both of his parents played NCAA Division I basketball. When watching him play, it’s obvious he was well-coached and understands the game. Mechanically, his jump shot looks great from all areas on the floor. He is an excellent free throw shooter that is north of 77% from the line which means the near seven-footer is not a liability late in games. Athletically, Porter is more than capable of playing along the perimeter. Similar to his brother Michael, Jevon could easily play along the wing given his ability to stretch the floor. LMU has a massive roster with 10 players listed six-foot-six or taller. Porter will likely play either forward spot and can even serve as a stretch five for when the Lions want to space the court.
A Needed Change of Scenery
On paper and on the box score, Porter passes all the eye tests. There are not many near seven-foot players who comfortably step out on the perimeter and let it fly from deep. Yet, the underlying metrics paint a bit of a different picture. First, his shooting splits from the floor and the arc took a hefty dip. He dropped roughly six percentage points from both categories as he increased his volume as a shot taker. His rebounding also dropped from 7.2 to 5.9. He struggled greatly against the Gaels and Zags during conference play. In his four matchups with the conference’s top teams, he shot under 40% three times, went 3-18 from deep, and turned the ball over nine times compared to only handing out five assists.
Porter’s advanced metrics were also middling. His offensive rating of 109.5 ranked 37th in the conference. His defensive rating ranked even lower as the 109.2 mark would have had him placed 41st in the WCC. Across the board, Porter did not take the step forward many would have hoped for. As mentioned earlier, this entire team simply did not reach their collective potential. One caveat is that Porter did miss most of the non-conference portion of the schedule with an undisclosed injury. The injury robbed Porter of reps prior to conference play and could have potentially lingered as he tried to play through it.
The Last Word
Jevon Porter was named to the conference’s Preseason All-Conference squad. He clearly is viewed as one of the premier players in the West Coast Conference by the coaches and top basketball minds. Everything is there for Porter to operate as one of the best stretch forwards in the country. If he can combine his freshman efficiency with his second year volume, he could lead this LMU team on a sneaky run through the conference.
