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Jontay Porter seems firm on playing basketball for Missouri Tigers this year

Nathan Hale’s Jontay Porter defends in a Metro League semifinal high school basketball game last season. He and his brother Michael led Nathan Hale to an undefeated season and 3A State championship. (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)
By Dave Matter St. Louis Post-Dispatch

It’s a “safe assumption” that five-star Missouri basketball commitment Jontay Porter will reclassify and enroll at Missouri to play the upcoming season for the Tigers, he told CBSSports.com Thursday at the Peach Jam AAU tournament in North Augusta, S.C.

The 6-foot-11 Porter, who committed to Mizzou’s 2018 recruiting class in May, had his transcripts approved by the NCAA last month, allowing him to enroll at Missouri this year, multiple sources have confirmed.

Porter attended Father Tolton High School in Columbia, Mo., his first two years of high school and then moved to Seattle last year. He was home schooled and played for Nathan Hale High. At Missouri, he’ll reunite with his older brother Michael, the nation’s top-ranked recruit for the 2017 class, and their father, Michael Porter Sr., an assistant coach on Cuonzo Martin’s staff.

For the last five months, Martin’s staff has reserved one scholarship to use for Jontay Porter. Meeting with reporters earlier this week in Columbia, Martin could not discuss Jontay Porter directly but said he expected to use the available scholarship.

Jontay Porter is ranked the country’s No. 11 recruit in the 2018 class by Rivals.com. His addition would surely boost Mizzou’s national ranking for the 2017 class. MU’s class is currently ranked No. 7, trailing only Kentucky, Duke, Arizona, Texas, UCLA and Alabama.

Since teaming with his brother to win the Washington state high school championship, Porter has spent the spring and summer playing for MOKAN Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit. Jontay Porter committed to Washington last year but opened his recruitment after the Huskies fired coach Lorenzo Romar in March. Michael Porter Sr. coached on Romar’s staff last season.

“I’ve always felt I could be great at the highest level but not many other people believed in me other than my dad and brother,” Jontay Porter said when he committed to Mizzou. “I think I’m starting to prove I can be one of the top dudes in my class or maybe the next class and hopefully bring the intensity level and success I’ve had to the college level and eventually the NBA.”