Porter Jr. ‘prepared to play in SEC tournament’ Cuonzo Martin says

Mizzou guard Michael Porter Jr. will play in the SEC tournament starting with Mizzou’s game Thursday according to Mizzou basketball coach Cuonzo Martin.

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Porter Jr. has not played since having surgery on his back in Novemeber after re-injuring his back during the first game of the season against Iowa State.In the weeks leading up to the SEC tournament, Martin continued to say the decision was not just going to come from him whether or not Porter would play. Martin said the decision would come down to Porter, his family, doctors and the coaching staff.

Martin said today that Porter told him he wanted to help the team and felt healthy enough to get back on the floor.

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Porter got cleared by his doctors in late February to return to practice with full contact. Porter began fully practicing with the team Feb. 23.

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So far this season, Porter played just two minutes and has two points in the regular season, before his surgery.

Porter Jr. was the number one recruit in the nation coming out of Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, WA. He played his first three years at Tolton High School in Columbia, where he led the Trailblazers to their first state championship in school history.

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Porter and the rest of the Mizzou basketball team face either Vanderbilt or Georgia on Thursday in its first game of the SEC tournament.