Draft Profile: Bobby Portis

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By Taylor C. Snow

Despite all the SEC attention landing on Kentucky this past season, it was an Arkansas Razorback who surprisingly captured conference Player of the Year honors. Bobby Portis scored the second most points and rebounds in the SEC and guided Arkansas to its first tournament appearance since 2008.

What Bobby Portis lacks in explosive athleticism, he makes up for with his length, instincts and hands. He is by no means a statue out there – he has athleticism, he just won’t blow you away with it. He can contribute at both ends, most notably on offense. Although he has a slow shooting motion that features a hitch, he has a high release that is difficult to challenge or block. He has good hands and does a good job of using leverage to gain ground on his post ups. He has a tendency to spin toward the baseline off of his post moves from either block. He lacks a counter move. He has quick recognition for passes out of the post. Portis does much more than operate on the block. He can shoot it from the outside and I anticipate he will become a consistent threat from 15 to 20 feet. He’s also capable of taking the ball off of the dribble with either hand. He typically plays to his strengths, so 3-point attempts are limited. Portis is a big body who’s willing and able to both set screens and run the floor, and that combination is every coach’s dream. There is no questioning this kid’s motor. He plays hard at both ends. He rebounds with his instincts, body and length. He challenges shots at the other end of the court in a similar fashion, with elite timing and extension on his contests. Portis has solid lateral quickness when caught on switches with guards. He uses a wide base, covers a lot of ground and has very good feet for his size. He communicates well and rarely gets into foul trouble because he’s a smart defender. He defended well against top offensive threats this season, such as Karl-Anthony Towns. Unfortunately, he also had some poor performances at the other end of the court against some of his top competition, such as Kentucky. Portis will never wow anyone with his athleticism, but he can contribute with his offensive skills, his rebounding and his versatility on defense.

By Taylor C. Snow

Portis was born on Feb. 10, 1995 in Little Rock, Ark. His mother, Tina Edwards, raised him and his three younger brothers, Jamaal, Jared and Jarod. He guided the Hall High School basketball team to four state titles and also propelled the Arkansas Wings Elite to the 2012 AAU National Title. During his senior season at Hall, Portis averaged 20.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game, earning Gatorade Arkansas Player of the Year honors. In 2013, he was one of eight players in the nation to compete in the Jordan Brand Classic, McDonald’s All-American game and Nike Hoops Summit. As a freshman at Arkansas in 2013-14, Portis was the only Razorback to start all 34 games. He broke the program’s single-game rookie scoring record with a 35-point (14-of-17), nine rebound and six-block outburst against Alabama. This season, the sophomore forward guided Arkansas to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008, averaging 17.5 points (second in the SEC) and 8.9 rebounds per game. The Razorbacks made it to the third round of the tourney, which they lost to North Carolina, but Portis had an impressive showing against the Tar Heels, collecting 18 points, 14 rebounds, five steals and three assists. He was named AP and Coaches SEC Player of the Year and became the first Arkansas underclassman to reach 1,000 career points and 500 rebounds. Portis declared for the NBA Draft on April 14.