Michael Porter Jr. accepts his National Player of the Year Award (photo/Gatorade)
Michael Porter Jr. was honored as the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year, and plans to reopen his college recruitment. If Porter Jr. ultimately winds up at Mizzou, he certainly wasn’t tipping his hand. Porter Jr. won the national honor after leading Seattle’s Nathan Hale High School to a 29-0 record and the Washington 3A state championship. Porter Jr. averaged 36 points and nearly 14 rebounds a game this season.
During a conference call on Wednesday with reporters, Porter Jr. confirmed that his father, Michael Porter Sr, has been offered a spot on Cuonzo Martin’s staff at Mizzou. Porter Jr. said he would like to play for his dad in college but it’s not a guarantee the two would end up in the same spot and his dad is still deciding if he even wants to coach this season.
“My dad doesn’t know if he will coach next year or if he will coach…It is not a for sure thing I follow my dad,” said Porter Jr.
Porter Jr. says he’ll ask Washington University from his national letter of intent after his godfather, Lorenzo Romar, was fired.
Porter Jr. started his high school career at Tolton High School in Columbia and while he’s keeping his options open, he knows the excitement his return to Columbia would bring, saying “I’ve been shown a lot of love from Mizzou fans. It could be something real, real special to be able to come home.”