Mizzou’s Michael Porter Jr. up for award as top high school athlete at ESPYs

Missouri freshman forward Michael Porter Jr. wasn’t present Monday for interviews in Columbia during the team’s media availability because he’s in Los Angeles for an appearance Wednesday at the ESPY Awards.

Porter, who was chosen the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year, is a finalist for the 2016-17 Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year.

Previous winners of the award include LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Matt Barkley, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, who will present this year’s award.

St. Louis native Jayson Tatum, who played at Duke last season and was drafted No. 3 by the Celtics in last month’s NBA Draft, is the reigning winner.

Porter, who signed with Missouri in April, led Nathan Hale High in Seattle to a 29-0 record, including a Washington Class 3A state title, and a No. 1 ranking in USA Today’s final Super 25.

He averaged 36.2 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.2 steals and 2.7 blocks as a senior after spending his first three years at Father Tolton Catholic High in Columbia.

Porter was the MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game and is the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2017 recruiting class as well as a presumptive top pick in next year’s NBA Draft.

This story was originally published July 10, 2017 at 4:29 PM with the headline "Mizzou’s Michael Porter Jr. up for award as top high school athlete at ESPYs."