SCC's Porter says he'll wait to choose a college

Otto Porter used his lean, always-moving arms to swipe an intended pass away on the defensive end.

The 6-foot-9 Scott County Central standout didn't look for a guard to bring the ball up the court. He took off at full speed with the ball and attacked the basket.

Porter cruised in toward the rim and got knocked to the floor, but not before he muscled up a shot that swished home for two points. He popped up and took his spot on the free-throw line, where he calmly drained the ensuing free throw to complete the conventional three-point play.

Porter just was following the advice he's been receiving from college coaches eager to secure the senior's signature on a national letter of intent.

"They tell me a lot of stuff, especially getting stronger and just getting out and going with it," Porter said.

Scott County Central's Otto Porter puts up a shot as Jackson's Bobby Clark defends during the first quarter of Thursday's Southeast Missourian Christmas tournament championship game at the Show Me Center. (Kristin Eberts)

Porter's superior play in Thursday's Southeast Missourian Christmas tournament championship game led the Braves to their third consecutive championship. Jackson provided little resistance on SCC's way to the 75-34 victory at the Show Me Center.

"It was special," Porter said. "It's my senior year. There's a lot of us on the team, our senior year. We just had it in our mind we was going to win it this year so that's what we did."

SCC coach Kenyon Wright fielded the same first question from almost everyone he talked with at the tournament. Everyone wanted to know -- Where is Otto going to college? Wright isn't looking forward to next year when he won't have to answer it anymore.

"I'll take that question any time," Wright said laughing, wishing he could keep Porter around forever.

Porter doesn't say much publicly about which college he's leaning toward attending.

Jackson's John Meyer attempts to pass through the arms of Scott County Central's Trey Johnson, left, and Otto Porter during the first quarter of Thursday's Southeast Missourian Christmas tournament championship game at the Show Me Center.

"Right now, I'm just going through ball season right now," he said. "I'm not going to make my decision until after my season. I've got still a long time to think about it."

Porter only has taken one official visit, which was to the University of Missouri. He said at this point he only plans to take one more, and that's to Georgetown University of the Big East Conference.

"I haven't went anywhere else," he said.

Some of the most elite programs in the nation have expressed interest, including the University of Kansas.

"Yeah, a little bit," Porter said about Kansas' interest. "Yeah, someone came to practice."

Scott County Central's LaMarcus Steward surveys the floor while being guarded by Jackson's Zach McDowell during second quarter Thursday.

He said Duke and the University of North Carolina have not showed interest yet.

"I would listen, definitely," he said.

Wright said he fields numerous calls during the week about his standout senior, who scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in Thursday's championship game.

"There's more people all the time," Wright said.

Porter proved his dominance during the third quarter against Jackson when he scored 14 points on 6 of 8 shooting (75 percent).

"He likes to get out there and give it his all all the time, and it shows," Wright said. "He works on his game a lot. He's a great kid. He's just a special one."

Porter finished with eight steals and four assists.

"We just tried to contain him but it didn't really work out that way," Jackson senior Bobby Clark said about Porter. "It's tough. When you get him in the half court, he's still good, but it takes him down a lot. But the pace they play at, it's just unbelievable. He played all four quarters and he was just as fast in the fourth quarter as he was in the first."

The Indians never found an answer for the Braves' swarming defense. Jackson committed 27 turnovers in the first three quarters, which led to numerous easy baskets in transition for the Braves.

"If you can not give up layups and turnovers against them and not give up second shots, you've got a shot to compete," Jackson coach Darrin Scott said. "The key is doing that."

The Braves' shooting percentage reflected the many baskets in transition. SCC shot 56 percent (33 of 59) from the floor.

"If you can get easy buckets, you can get layups, our percentages goes through the roof when you get layups," Wright said. "Whenever you're able to do that, it helps. Tonight I thought we finished better than we did all week long."

SCC scored the first six points but Jackson answered with five to cut the Braves' lead to one, bringing the Indians cheering section to life. But SCC then reeled off a 15-1 run to take control. Jackson never got closer than 13 points the rest of the way, and the fourth quarter was played with a running clock.

"That's the only team I've ever played that plays at a pace like," Clark said. "They played at an unbelievable pace all night."

Jackson 8 7 9 10 -- 34

SCC 21 16 30 8 -- 75

JACKSON (34) -- Caleb Newcomer 11, Tyler Rhodes 9, Zach McDowell 2, Chris Poyner 2, Bobby Clark 6, Brad Clary 2, John Meyer 2. FG 13, FT 2-9, F 14. (3-pointers: Newcomer 3, Rhodes 3. Fouled out: none)

SCOTT COUNTY CENTRAL (75) -- Blake Pobst 2, Stewart Johnson 8, Trey Johnson 7, Reggie Woodson 8, LaMarcus Steward 9, Otto Porter 30, Dominique Porter 9, Bryan Freed 2. FG 33, FT 8-12, F 14. (3-pointers: T. Johnson 1. Fouled out: none)