BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball’s Michael Porter, Jr. (Columbia, Mo.) was picked as the Southeastern Conference Preseason Co-Player of the Year by a panel of SEC and national media members, it was announced by the league office on Wednesday. Porter was joined in a three-way tie for the preseason honor with Georgia senior forward Yante Maten and Texas A&M sophomore forward Robert Williams.

Porter was also named Preseason First-Team All-SEC, adding to a run of honors that include: Athlon Sports Preseason All-America First Team (Oct. 9), Blue Ribbon Preseason All-America First Team (Sept. 18) and NBC Sports Preseason All-America First Team.

Considered the nation’s No. 1 recruit coming out of high school, the current Tiger averaged an impressive 36.2 points and 13.6 rebounds per game as a senior at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Washington, in 2016-17. Prior to his stint in the Northwest, Porter led Father Tolton Catholic High School to Columbia’s first high school state basketball championship in 54 years as a junior in 2015-16. The 6-10 forward averaged an outstanding 28.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game during that campaign.

Porter’s selection as a conference preseason player of the year marks the first time since prior to the 2012-13 campaign that a Mizzou student-athlete received the honor. Mizzou guard Phil Pressey was selected as the SEC’s Preseason Player of the Year by league media, along with a preseason first-team nod.

— Mizzou Athletics —