“He just shows up, he brings his lunch pail, and he works.” Head Coach John Thompson III laid it down very simply when describing the manner in which sophomore Otto Porter handles the hype and expectations levied upon him this season.
After a breakout season last year in which he went from practically unknown to one of the top freshmen in the Big East, Porter has been a major topic of conversation in the college basketball world, and for good reason. With an array of preseason honors so far, including Associated Press Preseason Honorable Mention All-American, Fourth Team Preseason All-American, and the All Big East First Team, Porter is looking to be the spark Georgetown will need offensively and defensively on a team absent of seniors.
Before becoming Georgetown’s young standout, Porter was a small-town boy from Sikeston, Missouri who had never played any AAU basketball or attended high-profile camps. He was a genuine, homegrown ballplayer with most of his guidance coming from his father and Gene Bess, both his and Otto Sr.’s college coach.
The Porter name has become nearly synonymous with basketball in this small area of southeast Mo., as both of Otto’s parents were state champions at Scott County Central High School, as well as three of his uncles. The low exposure made a transition to the quiet Hilltop a seemingly perfect fit.
Even so, Porter’s transition wasn’t the easiest—he famously didn’t ride a plane until his official visit to Georgetown.
“It was just a culture shock for him,” said junior forward Nate Lubick of his teammate’s transition. “It was actually pretty cool seeing, you know, how amazing he thought every city we were in was.”
Surrounded by basketball talent, Porter learned to play the game with a more old-school style, instead of the flashy, dunk-hungry attitude instilled in most youthful players. His moves have been described as smooth and composed, with the ability to make an impact even without the ball in his hands. Much of his style of play can be attributed to his avoidance of the AAU route.
“Otto is as grounded as they come. He understands that it’s not about him. It’s about us,” said Coach Thompson of Porter’s outlook on the game.
This attitude showed immensely last year, with Porter putting up unexpected numbers. He finished the season fourth on the team with 9.7 points per game, while leading the Hoyas with 6.8 rebounds per game. He made an appearance in each of Georgetown’s games and began to start consistently shortly after Big East play began.
His control and discipline were exemplified by his team-leading 52.5 field goal percentage. He scored in double digits 14 times over the season, and snagged 10 or more rebounds on seven occasions. His versatility was key to the team’s ability to surpass expectations, as Porter aggressively performed on both sides of the court.
“It’s not just him believing the hype,” junior guard Markel Starks said of Porter’s mentality. “It’s going out doing what everybody expects him to do. I think his expectation is to win. He’s going to do everything necessary for this team to win.”
Porter attended several camps over the summer, including Kevin Durant’s and LeBron James’s, and is focusing hard on getting stronger. Without any seniors on the team this year, he will need to step up his role and be able to contend against the larger, more powerful players in the league.
And so, with the rigors of the Big East, adding muscle was another key component of his offseason regimen. “It was a main focus this year, get bigger and stronger,” he said. “I definitely did get bigger and stronger, spent all summer in the weight room and just in the gym.”
With the added strength, Porter was able to incorporate more of an interior element to his offensive game. “Practicing with the big guys, post moves and stuff like that, just evolved my overall game,”he said.
Several NBA draft boards have Porter in the top 15. These projections show that Porter has come a long way since his freshman season, in which he was very controversially left off the Big East All Rookie Team.
Although his high placement could spell out a shortened Georgetown career, Porter’s contribution this year is well anticipated.
“Otto Porter is a worker,” Thompson said of his star. “He understands that he can get better. You go and see different people and different faces, but his work ethic, his caring, his understanding of the game are unchangeable.”
