NBA Draft Recap: Can Michael Porter Jr. regain high school form in the NBA?

Video: Michael Porter Jr. highlights
Can prolific scorer regain 2016-17 form in the NBA?

The story of Thursday's NBA Draft was undoubtedly 2016-17 MaxPreps National Player of the Year Michael Porter Jr., who went with the 14th pick to the Denver Nuggets.

Back issues limited Porter to just three games in college at Missouri. He didn't look like the same player who averaged 37 points and 14 rebounds per game at Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) as a senior, leading the program to state and national titles.

Only time will tell if he will reach his full potential and overcome injury concerns in the NBA. If he can stay healthy, he will be the steal of the draft – and maybe the steal of any draft ever.

Thursday night began with a little history as the top two picks went to a team in the state they graduated from high school in for the first time.

Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) graduate Deandre Ayton was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the first pick while the Sacramento Kings took Marvin Bagley III of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) with the second.

In a league dominated by guard play and small ball, the early stages of the draft were owned by promising young big men. Five of the first seven picks in the draft being one-and-done player 6-foot-10 or taller.

Along with aforementioned Ayton and Bagley, Jaren Jackson Jr. was selected fourth by the Memphis Grizzlies, Mohamed Bamba went sixth to the Orlando Magic and Wendell Carter Jr. was selected seventh by the Chicago Bulls. One-and-done was another trend as 10 of 14 lottery picks spent just one year in college. In total, 14 first round picks were one-and-done players in 2018, down two from a record-setting year in 2017.

Just two seniors were taken in the first round. The two seniors went back-to-back with the Utah Jazz selecting Grayson Allen with the 21st selection and the Chicago Bulls taking Chandler Hutchison with the next pick. The two senior drafted in the first round ties the record set in last year's draft.

Despite the youth movement, four players from the 2017 class went undrafted after declaring for the draft just one year removed from high school. Brian Bowen, Trevon Duval, Brandon McCoy and Billy Preston will all have an uphill battle in the NBA, as all four McDonald's All-Americans failed to hear their name called.

High Schools of Players in the Draft

First Round
1. Deandre Ayton, Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)
2. Marvin Bagley III, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
3. Luka Doncic, International
4. Jaren Jackson Jr., La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.)
5. Trae Young, Norman North (Norman, Okla.)
6. Mohamed Bamba, Westtown (West Chester, Pa.)
7. Wendell Carter Jr., Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.)
8. Collin Sexton, Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.)
9. Kevin Knox, Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Fla.)
10. Mikal Bridges, Great Valley (Malvern, Pa.)
11. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
12. Miles Bridges, Huntington St. Joseph Prep (Huntington, W.Va.)
13. Jerome Robinson, Broughton (Raleigh, N.C.)
14. Michael Porter Jr., Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.)
15. Troy Brown Jr., Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.)
16. Zhaire Smith, Lakeview Centennial (Garland, Texas)
17. Donte DiVincenzo, Salesianum (Wilmington, Del.)
18. Lonnie Walker, Reading (Pa.)
19. Kevin Huerter, Shenendehowa (Clifton Park, N.Y.)
20. Josh Okogie, Shiloh (Snellville, Ga.)
21. Grayson Allen, Providence School (Jacksonville, Fla.)
22. Chandler Hutchison, Mission Viejo (Calif.)
23. Aaron Holiday, Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, Calif.)
24. Anfernee Simons, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
25. Moritz Wagner, International
26. Landry Shamet, Park Hill (Kansas City, Mo.)
27. Robert Williams, North Caddo (Vivian, La.)
28. Jacob Evans, St. Michael (Baton Rouge, La.)
29. Dzanan Musa, International
30. Omari Spellman, MacDuffie (Granby, Mass.)

Second Round
31. Elie Okobo, International
32. Jevon Carter, Proviso East (Maywood, Ill.)
33. Jalen Brunson, Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Ill.)
34. Devonte' Graham, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.)
35. Melvin Frazier, L.W. Higgins (Marrero, La.)
36. Mitchell Robinson, Chalmette (La.)
37. Gary Trent Jr., Prolific Prep Academy (Napa, Calif.)
38. Khyri Thomas, Fork Union Military Academy (Fork Union, Va.)
39. Isaac Bonga, International
40. Rodions Kurucs, International
41. Jarred Vanderbilt, Victory Prep (Houston, Texas)
42. Bruce Brown, Vermont Academy (Saxtons River, Vt.)
43. Justin Jackson, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)
44. Issuf Sanon, International
45. Hamidou Diallo, Putnam Science Academy (Putnam, Conn.)
46. De'Anthony Melton, Crespi (Encino, Calif.)
47. Sviatoslav Myhailiuk, International
48. Keita Bates-Diop, Normal University (Normal, Ill.)
49. Chimezie Metu, Lawndale (Calif.)
50. Alize Johnson, Neumann Regional Academy (Williamsport, Pa.)
51. Tony Carr, Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.)
52. Vince Edwards, Middletown (Ohio)
55. Arnoldas Kulboka, International
56. Ray Spalding, Trinity (Louisville, Ky.)
57. Kevin Hervey, Bowie (Arlington, Texas)
58. Thomas Welsh, Loyola (Los Angeles, Calif.)
59. George King, Brennan (San Antonio, Texas)
60. Kostas Antetokounmpo, Dominican (Whitefish Bay, Wis.)