Jerone Morton Left WSU For THIS and Nobody in Seattle Is Ready For It
Alright, Emerald City, listen up! You know we bleed green and blue for everything Seattle, but we gotta keep an eye on our college hoops scene too, especially when local talent is on the move. And right now, there's some serious buzz around former Washington State guard Jerone Morton. This dude is scheduled to visit Kentucky THIS FRIDAY, confirmed by Jacob Polacheck of KSR+! Like, wow. Another player dipping from the West Coast, huh?
From Kentucky Phenom to Cougar Standout
Morton, a central Kentucky native, has been on a wild ride already. He kicked off his college career at Morehead State for two seasons before making the leap out west to play for the Cougars in the West Coast Conference for the 2025-26 season. Now, with just one year of eligibility left, he's in the portal drawing attention. DePaul, George Mason, and Texas A&M are all reaching out, but Kentucky's the first visit. On3 has him ranked No. 508 overall and the 138th-best shooting guard in this portal class, but his game tells a deeper story.
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This guy was a star back home at George Rogers Clark in Kentucky, leading them to a Sweet 16 championship in 2022, where he snagged tournament MVP, then a runner-up finish in 2023! As a senior, he was dropping 19.8 points and grabbing 6.6 rebounds per game, shooting 52.4 percent. Lightly recruited, he went to Morehead State. His freshman year (2023-24) was quiet, averaging 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in 12.9 minutes. But man, his sophomore season (2024-25)? He went OFF! Started 20 of 26 games, averaging 10.4 points, 3.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 29.5 minutes. His shooting splits jumped to a solid 45.0/37.7/72.0. He even had 14 double-digit scoring games, including two 20-point explosions! Remember that 70-69 overtime win against UT Martin? Morton dropped 18 points, seven assists, and four boards. Talk about clutch!
The Numbers Don't Lie: What Morton Brings
All that production sent him to the transfer portal the first time, landing him as new WSU head coach David Riley's first portal addition, choosing the Cougars over Marshall and others. With WSU in 2025-26, he started 29 of 32 games, putting up 7.8 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 24.9 minutes. His shooting splits were 43.8/38.8/82.0. He showed up big against Gonzaga with 16 and 15 points in two matchups, and even dished out nine assists with nine points against St. Mary's.
The advanced stats from his time at Washington State really pop. This dude is a three-point MACHINE, grading out in the 85th percentile among all guards! And his assist/turnover ratio? A ridiculous 2.22, putting him in the 88th percentile. He's a low-usage guy at 16.6 percent, but he finds ways to generate points. Over 50 percent on threes from the right side, and 37 percent on 61 NBA-range triples. Oh, and he doesn't just wait for assists, with only 45.2 percent of his threes coming off a teammate's dish. Now, defensively, it's a mixed bag. Average in defensive havoc, good for steals and blocks for a guard. But his overall defensive metrics weren't great last season, with a DRAPM of -3.4 and Defensive Win Shares of 0.03, ranking in the 2nd and 20th percentile respectively. He's also better on the offensive glass than the defensive. But still, the offensive firepower is undeniable!
So, with one year left, Morton is looking for his next landing spot. Kentucky's first on the list. For Cougs fans, it's tough to see a talent like that move on, but you gotta respect the hustle. Where he ends up will definitely impact his final college season, and it's gonna be interesting to see if he can take that next big leap and become an absolute force. We'll be watching!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.