Freshman point guard opens up about his journey in the sport

Maybe it’s his size at 5 foot 9 inches, or his agility to jump over taller players for a rebound, or maybe it’s his ability to sink a 3-pointer. 

Regardless, freshman point guard Colin Porter never fails to ignite an audience with his talents. 

The excitement he brings to the court is reflective of the excitement Porter has always found in the game of college basketball. For the Kentucky native, basketball has always been “the” sport to follow. And the University of Kentucky is the team to follow.  

Growing up in the small town of Ashland, college hoops was all Porter knew. 

“I’ve never been an NBA fan,” Porter said. “I’ve always liked (the University of) Kentucky. And really, that’s it. We would go to some games and the atmosphere was crazy, so you couldn’t not like it.”

Porter’s first memories of playing on the basketball court, however, weren’t quite as thrilling as a Wildcats game. In fact, they even included a few tears. 

“I was like, 4, and my brother would have been like 9 or 10,” Porter said. “And I got to go in (a game) because they were beating the team really bad. And as soon as they subbed me in, I ran out to my mom crying. I was so scared.”

While the initial indication might have been that Porter and basketball weren’t exactly meant to be, he would find himself going back to the game again and again. Because in the small town of Ashland, every child played basketball. 

“I guess I just had to get good because I had an older cousin and my brother was five years older than me,” Porter said. “And then we played with our family friend who was probably like 20 years older than me. I would always usually leave crying because I would get so competitive. But I think that was what honestly gave me the (drive) to keep playing, and there weren’t really any other sports. It was just basketball or nothing.”

This dedication to the game became evident in Porter’s high school years, where he played three remarkable seasons at Paul G. Blazer High School. Looking back on this time, Porter can reflect on many great memories. The one that sticks out, however, was his first season as a Tomcat. 

“My freshman year, we went 33-0. We were the first school since I think 1960 … to do that in Kentucky, to go undefeated,” Porter said. “I think just that season as a whole was something that I’ll always remember and have so many great memories from it.”

Porter finished his high school career with 1,271 career points and 529 assists. It was during this time that he played under one of his greatest mentors, Coach Jason Mays. Looking back, Porter feels his relationship with his high school coach changed him for the better.

“The way that he and I had a relationship on and off the court was something special,” Porter said. “And as I’ve moved on to college, our relationship has grown in a different way … Now it’s not player/coach but more like, he’s like my mentor and one of my closest friends, and it’s just awesome to be able to call him and talk with him.”

In his 23 games played this season, Porter has racked up 156 points, 93 assists, 51 rebounds and 30 steals. With the talent of the true point guard, he has complemented those around him, elevating the roster that has gone 13-1 at home.  

Porter’s favorite element of the game of basketball, however, has nothing to do with the statistics or thrilling victories. It has everything to do with a friend he made along the way.

When Porter was a freshman in high school, he was introduced to Luke, the  manager of his high school team who has Down syndrome. The two bonded immediately. 

“I just remember the first game we had over the summer, I was stretching, and he just came and jumped on me,” Porter said. “And from then we just built a connection.”

Despite the distance, the connection between Porter and Luke has remained strong. They share frequent phone calls and love following each other’s basketball journeys. 

Luke gave Porter a call this past weekend to tell him about the 3-pointer he hit in his last game and that he’s changing his jersey number to zero, matching Porter’s. 

“I’m able to connect and be his superhero,” Porter said. “But really, he’s my superhero. That is what’s so special about basketball to me … the way that I can impact a life.”

While making the transition from his hometown to Lynchburg wasn’t the easiest, having teammates that more resemble brothers has made things much better. One of Porter’s closest friends on the team is someone who entered the program alongside him, freshman guard Zach Cleveland.

Cleveland, like Porter, has had an impressive freshman campaign thus far, putting up 60 points, 53 rebounds and 35 assists in 16 games played. 

“Zach Cleveland has been someone that has brought me joy on and off the court,” Porter said. “He’s hilarious. We have a bond that is special, and I’m very thankful for the friendship that we have grown to (share). … Just the way that we are both freshmen, we get thrown into the fire, and it’s just something that we can communicate on that is very special to us.”

Now, as Liberty approaches the final stretch of the season, expectations are high for the group. What Porter hopes to gather from his time as a Flame, however, is lasting experiences that he can take home with him to the bluegrass. 

“I think every season brings a different side of adversity, and you just have to deal with whatever is thrown your way,” Porter stated. “Leaving Ashland was hard because of the great memories I’ve had there. I hope I can bring some great memories back to Ashland because I want to live there when I get older”.

 Cory is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter