Washington State's Jerone Morton Is Hitting The Portal, And One Program Is Already On High Alert

Alright Seattle, listen up! There's some big-time college hoops news coming straight from our state, and it involves a player who's been balling out for Washington State. Jerone Morton, the Cougars' guard, is officially in the transfer portal and making moves. He's reportedly visiting Kentucky this Friday, a scoop confirmed by Jacob Polacheck of KSR+, and believe me, other big names like DePaul, George Mason, and Texas A&M are already in his ear too. This guy isn't new to the game, having started his college journey at Morehead State for two seasons before bringing his talents out west to play for WSU in the West Coast Conference during the 2025-26 season. Now, with one year of eligibility left, he's looking for his next stop, and it's a huge deal for whichever program lands him.

From Kentucky Kid To Cougar Star: Morton's Rise

Morton's story is pretty awesome, honestly. He’s a central Kentucky native, a star at George Rogers Clark High, where he led them to a Sweet 16 championship in 2022, snagging the tournament MVP title, and a runner-up finish in 2023. As a senior, he was dropping 19.8 points and grabbing 6.6 boards a game on 52.4 percent shooting. Despite that killer high school career, he was lightly recruited and ended up at Morehead State. He saw limited action as a freshman in 2023-24, averaging 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in 12.9 minutes. But that's where the story gets good! As a sophomore in 2024-25, his role exploded. Morton started 20 of 26 games, bumping his numbers to 10.4 points, 3.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 29.5 minutes. His shooting splits jumped too, hitting 45.0 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from three, and 72.0 percent fro

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m the line. He even dropped a couple of 20-point games, including 18 points, seven assists, and four boards in an overtime win against UT Martin. That kind of production screams "bigger opportunity," and new Washington State coach David Riley snatched him up.

The WSU Impact And The Numbers That Pop

Morton chose our Cougars over schools like Marshall and Indiana State, starting 29 of his 32 games in 2025-26. He averaged 7.8 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 24.9 minutes, with solid shooting splits of 43.8/38.8/82.0. He showed up big against Gonzaga with 16 and 15 points in two matchups, and dished out nine assists to go with nine points against St. Mary’s. But the advanced stats? That's where Jerone Morton really shines. Per CBB Analytics, he graded out in the 85th percentile among all guards for three-point shooting and an insane 88th percentile for his assist-to-turnover ratio, which was 2.22! He might be a low-usage guy at 16.6 percent, but he makes points happen when he has the ball. He’s deadly with mid-range jumpers and above-the-break threes, hitting over 50 percent of his threes from the right side. And get this: 37 percent from NBA range on 61 triples. That's a deep shooting threat right there. His defense needs work, grading out as average in steals and blocks but low in overall metrics like DRAPM and Defensive Win Shares, but man, he's a dynamic offensive talent. This Friday's visit to Kentucky is a massive moment for Morton. With his proven ability to generate points and those eye-popping shooting numbers, he could be a huge depth piece for any team looking to bolster their backcourt. It’s a competitive portal, but with what he brings to the table, Jerone Morton is absolutely one to watch as he makes his final decision for his last year of college ball.

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