By JACOB POLACHECK
CHICAGO —Michael Porter Jr., the 6-foot-10 small forward from Nathan Hale (WA) High School, was named MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game Wednesday, leading the West Team to a 109-107 victory over the East. Porter, who recently announced his commitment to the University of Missouri, finished the game with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 steal on 5-8 shooting, playing 21 minutes.
“This is a dream come true,” Porter said. “I just wanted to go out there and have fun but this game was competitive. I know a lot of all-star games, people just go run up and down and dunk but we were playing hard. So, it was great.”
As Porter was announced as the game’s most valuable player, you could hear M-I-Z-Z-O-U chants from the crowd, following Porter’s recent commitment to the Tigers. “I didn’t know that there were so many Mizzou fans and for them to support me the way they did, it feels amazing,” said Porter. “I can’t wait to go home.”
Porter also spoke about the impact high school basketball has had on him, as he prepares to start his college career this fall. “I think high school basketball is the purest form of basketball,” said Porter. “There’s no pressure, you’re just going out there to have fun.”
Despite his MVP performance, Porter still recognizes parts of his game that need improvement, saying, “I need to work on my passing, once I get past the defender, getting to my spot, finding the open man, and finding shots.”
Meantime, as discussed in this FanRagSports.com piece, Porter Jr. is busy recruiting fellow stars to join him at Mizzou.
At halftime of the game, Porter told Quint Kessenich, “I hope he classes up,” in regards to whether his younger brother Jontay Porter will reclassify to 2017 and join him at Mizzou.
