Jerone Morton's Washington State Exit Blew Up The Transfer Portal And Nobody Is Ready For It

Alright, listen up, Seattle! You know we keep an eye on all the talent bubbling up in our amazing state, and this one just dropped like a bomb. Our guy, Jerone Morton, the 6-foot-4 guard from Washington State, is officially in the transfer portal, and Jacob Polacheck of KSR+ just confirmed he’s making a visit to Kentucky this Friday. A central Kentucky native, Morton is looking for a new home with one year of eligibility left, and let me tell you, this kid’s journey has been wild, culminating in a huge season right here in our backyard.

From Kentucky Prep Phenom to Cougar Standout

Morton started out as a star at George Rogers Clark in Winchester, KY, leading them to a Sweet 16 championship in 2022 where he was named tournament MVP, then a runner-up finish in 2023. As a senior in 2022-23, he put up monster numbers, averaging 19.8 points and 6.6 rebounds on 52.4 percent shooting. Despite that, he was lightly recruited and landed at Morehead State for his freshman year in 2023-24. He appeared in 34 games, starting two, with 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in 12.9 minutes on 31.1 percent shooting. He even hit the court in the NCAA Tournament against Illinois! But his sophomore year, 2024-25, was a different story. Morton exploded, starting 20 of 26 games, bumping his averages to 10.4 points, 3.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 29.5 minutes. His shooting splits jumped to a fantastic 45.0/37.7/72.0! That kind of production screams "bigger opportunity," right? That's when new Washington State head coach David Riley snagged him as the first portal addition last offseason, beating out schools like Marshall and Indiana State. And what a pickup it was! In 2025-26, Morton started 29 of 32 games for our Cougars, averaging 7.8 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 24.9 minu

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tes. His shooting splits were 43.8/38.8/82.0. He even dropped 16 points and 15 points in two matchups against Gonzaga, and dished out nine assists to go with nine points against St. Mary’s. This dude was making plays!

The Numbers Don't Lie: Morton's Got Game

If you dive into the advanced stats, Morton's three-point shooting and assist-to-turnover ratio at Washington State really pop off the page. CBB Analytics had him in the 85th percentile for three-point shooting among all guards and an insane 88th percentile for his 2.22 assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s a low-usage player, just 16.6 percent, but when he had the ball, he found ways to score. His shot chart shows he was well above average from mid-range and on above-the-break threes. Plus, he hit over 50 percent on his threes from the right side of the floor! Out of 61 NBA-range triples, he drained them at a 37 percent clip, showing real deep shooting threat value. And here’s a kicker: only 45.2 percent of his threes last season came off an assist. This guy can create his own shot! Now, defensively, it's a bit of a mixed bag. He's a solid steals-and-blocks guy for a guard, but the overall defensive metrics weren't loving his impact last season. His DRAPM was -3.4, ranking him in the 2nd percentile, and his Defensive Win Shares were 0.03, which put him in the 20th percentile. He also made more impact on the offensive glass than the defensive. So, there’s room to grow on that end, but his offensive upside is undeniable. So, what's next for Jerone Morton? Besides his visit to Kentucky, schools like DePaul, George Mason, and Texas A&M are all reaching out, wanting a piece of this talent. He’s ranked No. 508 overall and the 138th-best shooting guard in the transfer portal by On3. With one year left to play, wherever he lands is getting a serious offensive weapon. Let’s see where our Washington State alum takes his game next!

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