Seattle has never been short on young basketball prospects, but Nathan Hale High School senior Michael Porter Jr. might be the best the city has ever seen.

Michael Porter Jr. drives the lane for a layup.

Porter Jr. is currently ranked as the top high school player in the nation. The 6’9” forward transferred this past year to Nathan Hale in order to play for their new coach Brandon Roy, a former NBA player and Seattle legend in his own right. Together, those two have turned Nathan Hale from a 3-18 mess, to the No. 8 high school team in the country.

The move made sense for Porter Jr., who has already committed to the University of Washington to play for coach Lorenzo Romar, who is his godfather. His father Michael Porter Sr. is also an assistant coach; the family moved to Seattle when Porter Sr. took the job, essentially setting up Porter Jr. for the move to UW.

Porter Jr. has all the looks of a star in the making with tons of potential. He already has the frame of an NBA player and he is just 18. He has been named a McDonald’s All-American player, one of the top honors for high school basketball players. He also possesses skills that translate well to the next level. He has a great shot for someone of his height, which is important in today’s professional basketball climate. He has also been learning to use his height to his advantage, taking the ball into the paint more often. He has the ability to score from anywhere on the floor.

He is dominating at the high school level, averaging 35 points and 15 rebounds per game. His latest showing against crosstown rival Garfield High School saw him score 34 points and grab 14 rebounds in a win. But this was one of the most important games of the season for Nathan Hale. They won 69-65, representing their closest game of the year, giving them some needed competition. It was also the first time that Roy, a Garfield graduate, returned to his former gym since he was a star there. Garfield had a shot at ruining Nathan Hale’s perfect season, but could not pull it out at the end.

“I mean, it’s been my goal to be the best player in the country,” Porter said. “So on stages like this and the McDonald’s All-American game, those are the stages I’ve gotta come out and really prove something.”

“Lately I’ve been having stuff to prove, so every game I want to make a statement. This was another big statement, another big moment and I just wanted to go out and do my thing.”

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