ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Preseason accolades continue to come in for Mizzou Men’s Basketball freshman forward Michael Porter, Jr. (Columbia, Mo.), as the Tigers’ highly touted newcomer was named to the 2017-18 Oscar Robertson Trophy Preseason Watch List, it was announced on Monday by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).

One of nine freshmen selected to the watch list from around the country, Porter’s addition to the 32-player group comes on the legs of his recognition as the Southeastern Conference’s Co-Preseason Player of the Year.

The award is to be presented to the national player of the year by its namesake at the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio. Members of the USBWA’s board of directors chose the players to be included on the list as contenders for the Oscar Robertson Trophy.

Widely considered the nation’s No. 1 recruit after his standout high school career, the current Tiger averaged an outstanding 36.2 points and 13.6 rebounds per game as a senior in 2016-17 at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Washington. 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 posted averages of 28.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game during that championship campaign.

Porter has additionally been named a preseason All-American by outlets such as ESPN (Oct. 23), Athlon Sports (Oct. 9), Blue Ribbon (Sept. 18) and NBC Sports (May 25).

The full watch list can be found here. All NCAA Division I players are eligible for postseason honors from the USBWA. For the ninth straight season, the USBWA will present an Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week each Tuesday beginning Dec. 12.

In mid-March, the USBWA will announce its 2017-18 All-America Team and, at that time, finalists will also be chosen for the player of the year. Once finalists are announced, the entire USBWA membership will vote for the winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy.

Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation’s oldest player of the year award and the only one named after a former player.

— Mizzou Athletics —