Early indications are Michael Porter Jr., the top-ranked 6-foot-10 forward out of Nathan Hale, won't stick around to play for the Huskies.
One major question lingering around the Washington’s men’s basketball program has been answered: Lorenzo Romar has been fired after 15 seasons as coach at his alma mater.
Still another major question lingers: What happens to the best recruiting class in program history?
Early indications are Michael Porter Jr. won’t stick around to play for the Huskies.
Shortly after Romar’s dismissal, Porter tweeted: “Loved this coaching staff and couldn’t wait to start something special next year…this hurts.”
As part of his 2018 recruiting class, Romar also signed Garfield High guards Jaylen Nowell and Daejon Davis; point guard Blake Harris from Raleigh, N.C.; and and forward Mamadou Diarra, a Mali native who plays for St. Louis Christian Academy in Missouri. ESPN ranked the class No. 2 nationally.
Porter, a 6-foot-10 small forward, led Nathan Hale High School to its first state championship and is considered the nation’s No. 1 recruit and the potential No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA draft.
Washington announced Porter signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Huskies last fall. UW athletic director Jennifer Cohen said she would release Porter and the rest of the class from those binding commitments if they decide not to play for the new coach.
Porter’s father, Michael Porter Sr., was hired by Romar as a UW assistant coach last year, and his younger brother Jontay is a top recruit in the Class of 2018 who was also committed to play for Romar at UW.
“What could have been…” Jontay tweeted after Romar’s dismissal.
Speculation immediately connected the Porters to Missouri. Before coming to Seattle, Michael Porter Sr. was an assistant on the Missouri women’s basketball team.
Earlier Wednesday, Cuonzo Martin left California for a seven-year, $21 million contract to coach Missouri.