Fresno State Athletics
Floor General
12/1/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Fresno State senior guard Demetrius Porter has always been underestimated. He stands 6-feet tall, 170 pounds, and in a sport where size and height are coveted commodities, he is often overlooked. But ever since his childhood days, Porter has always been one to measure heart more than height.
Porter attended Washington Union high school in Easton, Calif., just southwest of Fresno. It was there that Porter began his journey through a successful basketball career. As a senior, he led the Panthers to a state Division IV championship while averaging nearly 24 points a game, dishing out 6.5 assists and thieving his opponents 5.3 times a game.
"There is no doubt he was our man," Washington Union head coach Vonn Webb said. "Demetrius did the creating, the scoring and set the tone on defense. He was our leader."
Webb said Porter did everything the coaching staff asked him to. He made others better, including a lanky sophomore named Chris Jeffries, now a talented sophomore forward for the Bulldogs. The entire team was based around the abilities of Porter, who flew around making plays and causing havoc for the opposition.
"At Washington Union we had a bunch of guys that just went out and played hard," Porter said. "Only two of us, Chris and I, have played ball in college, but the rest of the guys were still very skilled and they made plays to get the job done. I remember those teams were great, we did anything we could to win."
Following high school, Porter spent his first season at Fresno State under the tutelage of fellow teammate Rafer Alston, now of the Milwaukee Bucks. In 34 contests, Porter totaled 12.2 minutes per game, making significant contributions on both ends of the floor. Perhaps his most important time, however, was spent on the bench. Observing Alston's performance had quite an impact, teaching Porter the nuances of a pure point guard.
"I learned a great deal from Rafer," Porter said. "He had a great work ethic and he always played hard. It was a good opportunity for me to play a little each game and then watch how he ran the team, when he pushed it, when he didn't, and how he distributed the ball."
Last season, Porter's junior year, he was the starting point guard, producing solid results. He scored a career-high 26 points against Rice and his 13.2 points per game were good for third on the team. He also led the WAC in assists (6.24) and assist-turnover ratio (2.83). However, it was his timely playmaking ability that was most impressive in his first year as a starter. In a crucial game against then-No. 13 Tulsa, Porter drained a high-arching, turn-around jumper from 12 feet with 5.6 seconds remaining, clinching the much needed victory. Then in the semifinals of the WAC tournament, as Fresno State's season hung in the balance, Porter drilled the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer in double-overtime to knock out Hawai'i.
"My teammates have trust in me because they know I'm capable of playing this game," Porter said. "My work ethic speaks for itself, but hitting those big shots last year have definitely made an impact on the team. They'll always have confidence in me when the ball is in my hands at the end of the game."
Porter and senior center Melvin Ely are the only returning starters on this year's team. With the loss of Courtney Alexander, last season's NCAA scoring champion, Porter has some large shoes to fill. He will be asked to carry more of a scoring responsibility and continue to deliver in crunch time. While it is not fair to expect him to replace Alexander, he definitely is capable of providing a spark the team covets. Porter has truly become the floor general.
"Demetrius has always been a hard worker, a very coachable guy," head coach Jerry Tarkanian said. "It was really his confidence that pulled us through some of those games last season. We took what the defense gave us and he hit the open shots."
The energy Porter brings on defense may be the most important quality he offers the team. Tarkanian preaches a defensive philosophy that is based around constant pressure from all five players on the court. A unified defense that prevents the opposition from getting into rhythm can translate into easy buckets. For this philosophy to function, there must be an absence of any weak links, which means Porter can not do it all on his own. It is when others feed of his presence that the entire squad can supply undying confusion for its foe.
"This year my defense is going to be much, much better," Porter said. "I found myself not always going full speed last year. This season I'm with a bunch of guys I know will give it their all, and I'm going to turn it up."
Tarkanian is counting on it.
"He's gotten better and better every year," Tarkanian said. "I'm anticipating him doing a great job for us defensively. I just know he will."
Now Porter is on a quest to lead the Bulldogs to their second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. He will face opposing players that are stronger, more athletic and even more talented, but Porter has the poise, skills and leadership abilities to guide the Bulldogs back to the Big Dance.
