Jerone Morton Made a Move That Leaves Wazzu Scrambling For Backcourt Depth

Alright, Coug fans, hold onto your crimson and gray jerseys because the transfer portal drama just dropped a bombshell in Pullman! It's official: Washington State guard Jerone Morton, who was a key part of the squad this past season, is hitting the road. And get this: he's scheduled for a visit to Kentucky this Friday, a move confirmed by Jacob Polacheck of KSR+. While Kentucky might be eyeing him as a potential backup, losing a guy like Morton definitely stings for Wazzu's backcourt plans for next season. DePaul, George Mason, and Texas A&M are also reportedly in the mix, so he's got options.

From Morehead State Gem to Cougar Contributor

This dude has been on a journey! Morton, a central Kentucky native, kicked off his college hoops career at Morehead State, grinding it out for two seasons before heading out west to play for our very own Cougars in the West Coast Conference for the 2025-26 season. He's got one year of eligibility left, making him a hot commodity. Back in high school, he was a star at George Rogers Clark, leading them to a Sweet 16 championship in 2022, where he was even named MVP! His senior year in 2022-23, he was averaging 19.8 points and 6.6 rebounds on 52.4 percent shooting. Talk about a high school stud! At Morehead State, he showed flashes, especially as a sophomore in 2024-25. He started 20 of 26 games, bumping his numbers big time to 10.4 points, 3.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. His shooting splits jumped too: 45.0/37.7/72.0. We're talking 14 double-digit scoring games, even a couple of 20-point outings. Remember that 70-69 overtime win against UT Martin? Morton dropped 18 points, seven assists, and four rebounds in 30 minutes! All that hard work led him to search for an even bigge

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r opportunity, and that's how he landed with Coach David Riley at Washington State.

What Morton Brought to the Palouse

During his time with the Cougars in 2025-26, Morton continued to prove his value. He started 29 of his 32 games, averaging 7.8 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in just under 25 minutes a night. His shooting stayed solid, hitting 43.8 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from deep, and an impressive 82.0 percent from the line. He even went for 16 and 15 points in two matchups against Gonzaga and dished out nine assists to go with nine points against St. Mary's. And the analytics back it up: this guy can shoot the three. He was in the 85th percentile among all guards for three-point shooting and an incredible 88th percentile for his assist/turnover ratio at 2.22 while with Washington State. He might be a low-usage player, but he found ways to get buckets. He was hitting over 50 percent on his threes from the right side of the floor and drained 37 percent of his 61 NBA-range triples. So, yeah, he's a legit deep threat! Defensively, the metrics weren't as high on him, but he was solid for steals and blocks for a guard. Now with him potentially gone, the Cougars are definitely going to be feeling that hole in their backcourt.

What's Next for Wazzu's Backcourt?

So, what does this mean for our neighbors in crimson and gray? With Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins likely forming the starting backcourt, this move means the Cougars need to find some serious depth at the guard spot, and fast. Morton's visit to Kentucky is this Friday, so we'll know soon where his next chapter lands. For Washington State, the clock is ticking to find someone who can fill those minutes and provide that proven deep shooting threat. This offseason just got a whole lot more interesting for Coach Riley and the Cougs.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.