Ducks' little Porter set to show Gators

The diminutive freshman is setting an Oregon record with 108 3-point goals.
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Tajuan Porter knows what people think the first time they see him on the basketball court.
Little guy, 5-foot-6 on his best day, a body that's not exactly built for power. No way Oregon's pint-sized point guard is going to be able to hang with the big boys, let alone bust out skills that will leave folks speechless.
Go ahead and dismiss him, Porter's used to it. Be warned, though. There's a long line of teams -- good teams -- that paid the price for underestimating him.
"I think about that a lot when I'm out there on the court," Porter said Saturday. "Because obviously my size was an issue. That's why so many schools shied away from me. So I'm just trying to take advantage of the opportunity and prove everybody wrong."
The freshman has been doing it all year long, averaging 14.8 points per game and setting an Oregon record with 108 3-pointers.
Now he's got the chance to show folks outside the Northwest what he can do when third-seeded Oregon (29-7) plays top-seeded Florida (32-5) today in the Midwest Regional finals.
"I thrive in this moment," Porter said, his eyes lighting up. "I always wanted to play in this environment, on this stage."
Porter is key factor
Porter is the reason the Ducks are a game away from their first Final Four since 1939, when they won the national championship. UNLV couldn't contain him Friday night, and he went off for eight 3s and 33 points on 9-of-17 shooting to lead Oregon to a 76-72 victory.
Yet growing up, all he heard was that he was too small.
Porter's father and older brother, Terrance, are both 6 feet. He so badly wanted to reach their height when he was younger that he'd hang from things, hoping to stretch his body.
Most kids his size would give up the game when they realized they weren't going to grow anymore, go play something else. Not Porter.
"You can be whatever you want to be. Tajuan proves that," Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. "If you've got a big enough heart and a big enough game, you play at this level and play beyond this level."
High school background
The Detroit native teamed with Oregon teammate Malik Hairston to lead Renaissance High School to a state title in 2004, then added another in '06. He was all-everything his senior year, when he averaged 26.3 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals a game.
But while some schools showed casual interest -- he got a letter from Florida -- only the Ducks were begging Porter to come play.
"I really liked him," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "I thought he was a tough kid. I thought he was a great competitor. But ours was more our numbers, of what we already had."
To Porter, though, it was more people telling him he couldn't play.
"I've heard it from so many people and sometimes I'd really go home discouraged," he said. "My mom told me don't let anybody steal my joy. Don't let anybody tell me I can't do something."
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