Porter was injured in the first half of the season opener against Iowa State . Porter was expected to miss the remainder of the 2017 – 18 season because of a lower back injury which required surgery . On November 22 , 2017 , Porter had a successful microdiscectomy of his L3-L4 spinal discs . However , on February 22 , 2018 , Porter Jr. was cleared to practice with Missouri again , with the potential to return to play before the end of the season . NBA executives were encouraging him to play if he was feeling healthy enough to do so . Porter would officially return to action on March 8 , 2018 in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament . Porter would also play in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Division I Men 's Basketball Tournament , where the team lost to Florida State . In both games , however , Porter came off of the bench to play instead of starting like he had on opening night , mainly as a precaution . On March 27 , Porter announced his intention to forgo his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility and declared for the 2018 NBA draft
SEC Tournament
2018 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament
Michael Porter Jr.