Porter suspended due to conduct issues

Freshman guard Kevin Porter has been suspended indefinitely from the men’s basketball team by head coach Andy Enfield due to conduct issues.

As Enfield and staff members decide on the appropriate level of punishment for Porter, the next few days are pivotal for both Porter and the Trojans’ basketball season as a whole.

“We’ll reevaluate his future with the program this week,” Enfield said.

The nature of Enfield’s announcement prompts speculation over whether or not Thursday’s loss to Oregon State would be the last time Trojan fans get to see the five-star guard. Some of the speculation over Porter’s status with the team is due to the parallels between his situation and that of sophomore guard Jordan Usher. After being suspended indefinitely for conduct issues, Usher announced his transfer the next day and now attends Georgia Tech.

Another factor in the speculation is the high draft stock Porter has garnered, despite limited time on the court. Bleacher Report has projected that the 6-foot-6 guard will go as high as third overall and ESPN has him as a lottery talent, ranking him as the 11th overall prospect.

If Thursday was the last of Porter at USC, his Trojan career will have ended with just four appearances. However, the freshman doesn’t see his tenure as a Trojan coming to an end just yet.

“There has been speculation that I will no longer finish the season as a Trojan, those accusation and what has brought a lot of negative attention to the Trojan family are all false. I am a Trojan and never once have been put in a predicament from our coaching staff that I was removed and wasn’t a part of this program,” Porter tweeted.

As Porter’s status remains up in the air, the Trojans prepare to host UCLA Saturday at 1 p.m. at  the Galen Center.