Banquet caps busy weekend for Porter

MORLEY, Mo. -- It was Three Rivers Community College coach Gene Bess who called Georgetown assistant Robert Kirby, his former player, to tell him about Otto Porter Jr.

Kirby made the trip to Southeast Missouri to watch Porter and then told Georgetown coach John Thompson III that he better go see the recruit for himself -- and soon.

"A lot of these places, these schools have their own plane and everything," Thompson said Saturday night at a banquet honoring Porter. "I had to go through planes, trains and automobiles to get here. And it was worth every part of that journey, every part of it."

Porter eventually played at Georgetown for two seasons before being selected by the Washington Wizards with the third pick in the NBA Draft earlier this summer. Saturday night his No. 22 jersey was formally retired.

"This is a special event," Thompson said, explaining why he once again made the long trip to the SCC gym. "I don't think I've coached anyone that's had their high school gym named after them or their jersey retired -- maybe a jersey or two but nothing this special. And just a way to say thank you to his parents to tell you the truth. As you heard over and over again, a reoccurring theme is just that he came to Georgetown prepared on the court and off. I just want to for that."

Kirby, former SCC coach Kenyon Wright, Porter agent David Falk and lieutenant governor Peter Kinder also spoke at the event. State representatives Holly Rehder and Steve Cookson, who was Otto Porter Sr.'s roommate at TRCC, presented Porter with a resolution, as did state senator Wayne Wallingford.

Porter's number is the eighth to be retired at SCC, but he joined his father and his uncle Marcus Timmons as the only people to have their accomplishments recorded on a plaque and placed in the school's trophy case, which holds its record number of state championships.

Friday night, more than 300 people attended a celebration at the gym where a placque with Porter's retired number was unveiled and the court was renamed in his honor.

Several dignitaries were on hand, including Kirby, former SCC coach Ronnie Cookson, U.S. Representative Jason Smith, the mayors of Morley, Haywood City and Vanduser and the Scott County commissioner.

"It's been crazy the last couple days," Porter said, "but it's been amazing to see all the support from the community, from my family, from the people that watch me play. It's been amazing."

Southeast Missourian sports editor Scott Roscovius contributed to this report.