Jerone Morton Ditching Washington State and Nobody in Northwest Hoops Is Ready For It

Alright, 12s, buckle up because the college hoops world just got rocked, and it hits close to home for us up here in the Emerald City. That dude Jerone Morton, the guard who was balling out for Washington State last season, is officially dipping out of Pullman and into the transfer portal. And get this: he’s already got a visit scheduled with Kentucky this Friday. A central Kentucky native, Morton came all the way out here, started making a name for himself in the West Coast Conference, and now he’s gone. What in the world is going on with our state's talent pool?!

From Morehead to Pullman: Morton's Wild Ride Out West

This kid’s journey has been a whirlwind, honestly. Morton started his college career at Morehead State for two seasons before headin' West to WSU and their new coach David Riley for the 2025-26 season. He was a late addition, but Morton jumped right into action, starting 29 of 32 games for the Cougars. He wasn't just riding the bench either, averaging 7.8 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in about 25 minutes a night. And you know he showed up in the big games, dropping 16 points and 15 points in two matchups against Gonzaga. He even had a nine-point, nine-assist game against St. Mary’s! Before WSU, he had a breakout sophomore year at Morehead, starting 20 of 26 games and putting up 10.4 points, 3.4 assists, and 3.2 rebounds. The du

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de can produce, no doubt about it.

The Stats Don't Lie, But They Don't Tell the Whole Story Either

When you dig into the advanced stats, Morton's game definitely has some flashes. He was a sharp-shooter from deep, grading out in the 85th percentile among all guards for three-point shooting. His assist-to-turnover ratio was legit too, sitting at 2.22, which put him in the 88th percentile. He's not a high-usage guy, but he finds ways to score, especially from mid-range and above-the-break threes. He even knocked down 37 percent of his 61 NBA-range triples last season. But here's the rub for us defensive-minded fans: his D needs some work. While he's a solid steals/blocks guy for a guard, his overall defensive metrics last season weren't great. His DRAPM of -3.4 ranked in the 2nd percentile, and his Defensive Win Shares of 0.03 were only in the 20th percentile. So, offensive firepower, yes. Lockdown defender, maybe not so much. Morton is ranked No. 508 overall and the 138th-best shooting guard in the transfer portal by On3, and he's got one year of eligibility left. He’s already got DePaul, George Mason, and Texas A&M reaching out, so he’s a hot commodity. What does this mean for Wazzu and the rest of the college basketball scene in our state? We're losing a proven scorer, and that's never easy. We'll be watching to see where this kid lands, and who coach Riley brings in to fill that gap. The portal giveth, and the portal taketh away, am I right?

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