Former Sikeston standout Michael Porter may be facing a medical redshirt as he continues to be hampered by a hamstring injury in his freshman season at Missouri State.
Porter has missed the last nine games with the hamstring injury and the team has missed the former Bulldog's athleticism and energy off the bench as the Bears are 4-5 over that stretch.
According to an article in the Springfield News-Leader, Porter is still working in an attempt to get back to the team by the end of the season.
"I'm not sure about a date," Porter told the News-Leader. "It just depends if we think we have a chance to make the (NCAA) tournament. If I can give us a boost to help get us to where we want to go, I'll definitely come back. I'll pick the tournament and not play that much in a year than not play at all and not go to the tournament."
Head coach Cuonzo Martin told the News-Leader they aren't going to rush Porter back and want to make sure he is 100 percent healthy before he plays again.
"We have to do what's in the best interest of Mike Porter and (redshirt) is a viable option at this point," Martin said.
Porter missed the first four games of the season with an appendectomy but played in six games, leading MSU with 16 points against Arkansas-Little Rock. For the season he is averaging 3.8 points and 2.2 rebounds.
In order to qualify for a medical redshirt an athlete must play less than 30 percent of his team's games.
Three local players have been contributors to the Three Rivers Community College men's basketball program, led by Bell City's Nick Niemczyk. The sophomore has played in all 18 games for the 15-3 Raiders and is scoring 12.1 points per game while shooting 44 percent from behind the arc.
Charleston's Jamarcus Williams has also played in all 18 games for TRCC and is averaging 5.7 points and 4.6 rebounds.
Portageville's Byron Wright has seen action in 11 games and is averaging just over 2 points.
Meanwhile, a duo from Southeast Missouri has helped Mineral Area Community College to a 14-5 record.
Scott County Central's Drew Thomas is scoring 9.8 points per game through 18 games and netted 18 points against Florissant Valley last week.
Josh Minner of New Madrid County Central is also seeing plenty of floor time for the Cardinals and is scoring just over 4 points per game.
Scott County Central's D.D. Gillespie is currently a sophomore for Shawnee Community College and is a key part of the 10-5 squad. Through 11 games, Gillespie was scoring just under 10 points with 4 assists per game.
East Prairie's Tony Jones is currently a redshirt freshman for Missouri Baptist and has played in 14 games for the 8-9 team. Jones is third on the team with 4.14 rebounds per game and is scoring just under 3 points per game.
A number of Dexter girls are making their presence felt on college basketball teams in the state. Katelyn Heil is currently a reserve for Missouri Science and Technology and has played in all of the Lady Miners' 17 games, starting four. The freshman is averaging 18 minutes per game and is averaging 5 points and 2 rebounds. She is also tied for second on the team with 15 3-pointers made.
Her twin sister Cathryn Heil is also on the Lady Miners and has played in three games.
Former teammates Jill Temples and Ashlee Taylor are playing key roles for Three Rivers as well. Temples has started all 19 games for the Lady Raiders and leads the team with 46 steals and 41 assists. She is averaging 7.2 points.
Taylor has played in 15 games for TRCC and is second on the team with 17 made 3-pointers. She is averaging 6 points and 2.4 rebounds.
Portageville's Kellye Penn has also started all 19 games for the 10-9 Lady Raiders. The sophomore is averaging 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
Delta's Jodi Menz is also on the Lady Raiders and has played in eight games where she is averaging 1.2 points.
Three other local girls are a part of the Shawnee Community College women's team that was 5-9 through Jan. 9. Portageville's Courtney Chamberlain and Brittney Walker are both freshmen on the team while Scott County Central's Brittney Jones is a sophomore. No stats for Shawnee's women's team were known at press time.
The college notebook will run periodically in the Standard Democrat sports section. If you have news on a college athlete to report, contact David Jenkins at sd_sports@yahoo.com or 471-6980.