Michael Porter Jr. is so much more than just the 2017 edition of basketball’s “next big thing.” He’s helping to revive a moribund college basketball rivalry, and breathe new life into a once proud but currently abysmal program. The Gatorade Player of the Year and Naismith Preps Award winner is also dating a famous actress, Madison Pettis, with over 1.5 million followers on Twitter.
Porter was also the main attraction at McDonald’s All-American Game Media Day, with the media swarms around him much larger than those surrounding all the other blue-chippers.
Michael Porter Jr. was released from his University of Washington letter of intent when the school canned Lorenzo Romar. Last week he committed to Missouri, and their new head Cuonzo Martin. Porter becomes the third McDonald’s All-American (Ivan Rabb, Jaylen Brown) landed by Martin in as many years.
ESPN ranks Porter #1 overall, 24/7 Sports has him second nationally while Scout places him fifth. While he is a HUGE get for Mizzou, he also has one-and-done written all over him as Draft Express and NBA Draft Room have him going #2 overall in their 2018 NBA mock drafts, while NBA Draft.net has him slotted the top overall pick! Scouts say his game is a stronger Brandon Ingram.
Thus, you can see why there were just never ending media hordes engulfing him all day. You can watch him tonight in the McDonald’s All-American Game on ESPN at 6pm central.
https://twitter.com/madisonpettis/status/843876149855834122
The 6’10” small forward from Seattle now tries to help revitalize and renew a program that’s never been to the Final Four and a team that finished 8-24 last season.
“It doesn’t matter what school you are — Kentucky, Kansas — usually the schools that succeed in the NCAA Tournament have veteran guys and then freshman guys come in that are good,” Porter said.
“Next year, we’ll have dudes that have been through it a couple of times, and good players. … With the guys that I’m trying to bring in with me, I feel like we could be a real threat.”
When we caught up with him we talked Illini, the “Braggin’ Rights” series and the rivalry with Illinois.
“I can’t wait for that game,” Porter said. “It should be a packed house because I think it’ll be a great game, Illinois is a good team, so it’s a big time game.”
Porter Jr. said Mizzou still needs to add size. Hasn't given up on East St. Louis' Jeremiah Tilmon: "I'm on him hard."
— Tod Palmer (@todpalmer) March 28, 2017
That’s a tweet from the Kansas City Star Mizzou beat writer. Given what’s transpired the past decade or so, many of us just don’t remember when Illini-Mizzou was “a thing,” but Porter does, as he attended a game several years ago.
“It was back when Kim English and those guys played, so it was a great team and it was packed, it was crazy.”
Maybe Porter will help restore the roar, and additionally, do his part to make Mizzou Arena known for something other than the embarrassing name it once had. The venue was briefly named Paige Sports Arena, after Paige Laurie, a Wal-Mart fortune heiress who not only attended USC over Mizzou, but was also exposed by egregious academic scandal.
Of course, the Lauries put up about a third of the $75 cost, so they can do…or at least they could do for awhile, whatever they wanted with the name. Mizzou basketball fans are hoping their program makes national headlines for what their team does on the court.
Perhaps Porter and Martin could be the cornerstones in laying a new foundation of success.
“It would be awesome that’s why I always say we could do something special next year, cuz I know how hungry Mizzou fans are,” Porter said. “If I could be a part of that, it would be great.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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