Marquette Lands Liberty Iron Man Colin Porter — If the Courts Allow It
Porter started all 135 games at Liberty and brings a 38% career three-point stroke, but a fifth-year eligibility lawsuit could keep him off the floor.
Great fit and instant backcourt help — but eligibility is stuck in court.
- Started all 135 Liberty games over four seasons
- 11.1 PPG, 3.4 APG, 1.4 SPG as a senior (2025-26)
- Career 38% from three, 49.5% on twos
- Just 41.5% on twos vs top-100 foes (career)
- Fifth-year eligibility tied up in NC lawsuit
Marquette added transfer guard Colin Porter, a four-year starter at Liberty who never sat out a game — all 135 of them across his career. He capped his senior year (2025-26) with 11.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game while logging at least 27 minutes a night in every one of his four seasons.
The catch is a big one: Porter is only technically eligible right now. He's finished four years, and he's part of a North Carolina lawsuit contesting the NCAA's decision not to grant the 2025-26 senior class a fifth season. Early court signals lean toward the players, but nothing's settled — meaning there's a real chance Porter never actually suits up for the Golden Eagles.
Head coach Shaka Smart praised the move, saying Porter is a strong cultural fit whose shooting, ballhandling and passing should upgrade the backcourt immediately. On paper, that tracks. Porter is a career 38% three-point shooter — his 35.8% senior mark was a career worst, and it came on his highest attempt volume, so a little shot selection could push him back toward the 40-43% he hit earlier.
The Fit and the Flag
There's one wrinkle worth flagging. Porter's efficiency dips against real competition: 39-for-94 on two-pointers (41.5%) across 27 career games versus top-100 opponents. That matters at Marquette, where 21 of last year's games qualified as top-100 tests. If Smart's offense keeps generating easy looks at the rim, it's a non-issue. If Porter's forced into contested twos against Big East length, the numbers get shakier.
The roster math explains the gamble. With Nash Walker still rehabbing shoulder surgery and Colton Crowdis logging just 2:34 across the entire three-game Canadian trip, Marquette needs a point guard behind Nigel James. Porter's arrival takes pressure off Nolan Minessale sliding over, and doubles as a message to the roster that minutes are earned, not given.
For fantasy and dynasty college watchers, Porter is a pure WATCH until the courts rule. He's a plug-and-play combo guard with elite durability and a clean turnover rate (13.1% in 2025-26), but his entire value hinges on eligibility that may not resolve for months. Don't commit roster capital to a player who might legally never play — keep him tabbed, and pounce the moment a judge clears him.
