The Top College Basketball Recruit For Next Year May Switch To Mizzou

Lorenzo Romar was fired as Washington men’s basketball coach on Wednesday. In somewhat related news, Cuanzo Martin will take over at Missouri.

This is especially relevant because Martin has reportedly taken Huskies assistant coach Michael Porter Sr. with him to Mizzou. He had previously worked for Missouri’s women’s basketball team but eventually left to coach with Romar in Seattle.

In fact, the Columbia Tribune reported that Porter and Romar were in each other’s weddings. It would make sense that he would leave Washington now that Romar is no longer affiliated with the university.

Porter has two sons who play for Nathan Hale High School under head coach Brandon Roy — yes, that Brandon Roy. The elder son, Michael Porter Jr., is regarded as the best player in the country for the Class of 2017.

Some think he could be the No. 1 pick in the next NBA draft and he hasn’t yet played a college game yet.

Porter Jr. has already tweeted about how much the news today out of Seattle hurt.

He originally committed to Washington in November. Here’s what Romar said about him at the time (via GoHuskies.com):

"“Michael Porter Jr., is the type of player that doesn’t come around very often. It’s a once in a while situation where you’re able to get a player with his size and his skill set. He’s just an elite, elite talent. His versatility speaks for itself. .. He has a phenomenal jump shot but is also able to put the ball on the floor and make plays for himself and others. He’s a good rebounder, has a high basketball IQ and is just the whole package.”"

While he played high school basketball in Seattle as a senior, he is originally from Missouri — where he won a state title in 2016.

Additionally, two sisters of Porter are on the women’s basketball roster at Missouri. Now, his dad will be an assistant coach on the men’s team as well.

It’s worth mentioning that an official Huskies spokesperson said that Porter signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Washington.

But considering recent circumstances with Romar, who is the legal godfather of Porter Jr., it would make sense to expect him to de-commit.

Missouri already has a commitment from four-star point guard C.J. Roberts. Neither Washington nor Missouri made the NCAA Tournament this year. The best player on the Huskies (Markelle Fultz) announced he will declare for the NBA draft rather than play another season for Washington.

Perhaps the most interesting wrinkle of this story involves Jontay Porter, who is ranked No. 26 in the Class of 2018. Similar to Lonzo Ball and his younger brothers with UCLA, the Porter kids are considered a package deal as well.

In January, he told Scout that he was considering leaving Nathan Hale High School in Seattle for an early enrollment with the Huskies because he wanted to play with his brother.

Jontay Porter has also expressed his disappointment about the Romar news.

If both of the Porter kids leave, does that mean that Roy could be in the market for a new job? If so, his alma mater in Seattle (where he currently coaches) is looking for a head coach.

Rumors will inevitably swirl about a connection between Roy and the University of Washington.

Should the Huskies decide to hire Roy, there’s a much stronger chance that both Michael Porter Jr. and Jontay Porter stay committed to Washington. But so far, that’s not considered likely.