BOBBY PORTIS : Port Authority

Arkansas Razorbacks, 6-11, PF, So.

—by EVIN DEMIREL, Slam magazine

Earlier this year, the jersey numbers of Sidney Moncrief and Corliss Williamson were raised to the rafters of Arkansas’ Bud Walton Arena. Perhaps no Razorback better links these two legends than a 20-year-old sophomore looking up at the honorary banners. 

Bobby Portis rose from gangly project at Moncrief’s high school alma mater to become Arkansas’ first SEC Player of the Year award winner since Corliss Williamson 20 years ago. Corliss Williamson was one of Portis’ AAU coaches in Little Rock. He helped Portis as a young teenager deal with anger issues and develop a strong work ethic. The two have remained close. “He’ll text me ‘Good game’ or something like that,” Portis says. 

The congratulations poured in for Portis during the ’14-15 season. The 6-11 power forward racked up 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds a game while leading Arkansas to 27 wins. The Hogs returned to the NCAA Tournament after a seven-year drought. And Portis rose in many NBA Draft projections to a top-15 pick. “I came and did what I feel like I wanted to do.” 

For the most part, yes. But a national title, which Williamson won, remained. Was another shot at that worth the chance of severe injury or losing draft stock after facing a season’s worth of double and triple teams? In the end, Portis decided to go pro. Given the chance to relieve a mother who for years has been stocking bread seven days a week, often during graveyard shifts, and you can understand why Portis says: “If you’re a projected Lottery pick, there’s no point in coming back.” 

In the short term, he’s off to bigger cities to develop a versatile post-up or pick-and-pop game. In the long run, though, Portis looks forward to a Bud Walton return. “I hope I can come back one day in 20, 25 years and get my jersey hanging in the rafters,” he says. “What kid wouldn’t want to see that?” 

— EVIN DEMIREL, Slam magazine