Five-star Porter coming to town
Following a visit to the University of Kansas on Saturday afternoon, Michael Porter and his Tolton Catholic High School teammates will take their talents to Johnson County Community College for a matchup against Blue Valley Northwest.
Michael Porter, the No. 3 ranked player in the 2017 class is coming to town.
Porter, the 6-foot-8, 190-pound small forward from Tolton Catholic High School in Columbia, Mo., will be on hand for Saturday afternoons matchup between No. 1 Kansas and TCU. Shortly thereafter, the nation's top ranked small forward, along with his Tolton Catholic High School teammates, will make the short drive down K-7 to Johnson County Community College, site of the second annual 810 Varsity Best of the Midwest Showcase.
“Porter has been a special player that you see once in a lifetime,” said 810 Varsity’s Chad Rader of the 6-foot-8 junior. “Kansas and many others have been recruiting him a long time, and for good reason. He's the most highly regarded player nationally to play in Kansas City in a basketball game since Danny Manning.”
The Best of the Midwest Showcase was organized by 810 Varsity, the high school entity affiliated with Sports Radio 810 WHB, in starting a regional event to Kansas City. Among the matchups, the headliner with Blue Valley Northwest – the top team in Kansas Class 6A vs. Father Tolton Catholic and Porter at 8:30 p.m.
"This is what Kansas City has needed for a long time," said Jimmy Cain, Blue Springs South head coach. "Teams have traveled to play in these events around the country, and now we can stay at home and bring them here."
The event kicks off at 11:00 a.m. with St. James Academy and Olathe East (girls). The remainder of the schedule can be found below.
St. James vs. Liberty (12:30)
Lee's Summit North vs. Free State (2:00)
Blue Springs South vs. CBC (4:00)
Lee's Summit vs. Shawnee Mission North (5:30)
Park Hill South vs. Olathe North (7:00)
Blue Valley Northwest vs. Father Tolton Catholic (8:30)
While Saturday figures to provide fans with an exciting and entertaining day of basketball, there's absolutely no denying that Michael Porter will likely draw the biggest crowd -- and for good reason.
Porter, five-star prospect and one of the most lethal scoring prospects in the 2017 class, is certainly no stranger to the University of Kansas. Having been on campus a number of times, including Late Night in the Phog, Porter, not surprisingly, is a top priority for Bill Self and his staff.
Currently, Porter is considering Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Stanford, Syracuse, UCLA, Virginia and Washington. With another trip to Kansas set for this weekend, and a visit when Kansas plays host to Kentucky a possibility, there's no doubt that Kansas is a major player for Porter.