LITTLE ROCK — At 1 p.m. today, Little Rock Hall power forward Bobby Portis will sign on the dotted line and officially become an Arkansas Razorback.
Portis, 6-9 1/2, 220 pounds, is one of thye perimer recruits in the nation and is rated the No. 13 prospect in the nation by Van Coleman, the National Director of Basketball for XOFan.com network. He said he's been talking to associate head coach Melvin Watkins and assistant coach T.J. Cleveland.
"They want me to come in and be a leader on the court, lead by example," Portis said. "They want me to bring my hard work to the team and show everyone what I can do."
Portis said playing year round with the AAU Arkansas Wings and Little Rock Hall has it's challenges and takes a toll on the body.
"I think the off season is the hardest thing because coming from AAU you take a week or two off," Portis said. "Then you come back with it and it's off season. You're tired and your body is fatigued and you're kind of out of shape. Then you have to get back into shape and start lifting weights again and you have conditioning and you also have to do your ball handling and your skill sets."
Portis' Wings' teammate for the last two years, center Moses Kingsley , 6-10, 220, of Huntington Prep in West Virginia signed with the Hogs on Thursday.
He said in Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he and Kingsley make a tough tandem.
"Moses and I play real well together," said Portis, who averaged about 15 points, 10 rebounds and 3 block shots a game as a junior. "Because what I can't do he can do and what he can't do I can do. We have like a connection on the court. I don't know what it is, when we hit the court it's on."