Starting Five: Porter continues to elevate game

Five-star junior Michael Porter isn't lacking for attention, but the elite wing continues to take his game to new heights. SMU added a big piece in four-star Ted Kapita and new rankings are on the way for the classes of 2017 and 2018.

Already ranked No. 3 in the class of 2017, 6-foot-8 small forward Michael Porter of Columbia, Mo., isn't exactly wanting for attention or notoriety.

Porter is well regarded as one of the top players in the country, regardless of class, and he has the opportunity to play anywhere in the country.

Rivals.com was in to see him on Friday night as he led Father Tolton to a convincing 83-57 rivalry win over Jefferson City (Mo.) Helias in front of a soldout crowd at Columbia College.

Porter didn't let flu-like symptoms bother him in the least as he strung together a near flawless 22-point, 16-rebound and eight-assist night. Porter hit pretty jumpers off the catch or after pulling up off the dribble. He converted while getting fouled and he thrilled the crowd with soaring jams in traffic. He made it all look easy.

The most notable part of Porter's performance was how much he's developed as a playmaker. He should have had an triple-double if not for some easy misses from teammates, but that's inconsequential. The point is that he's making those around him better and once prospects do that they take their game to a new level.

Porter said afterward that he's hoping to make a college decision by the end of the summer. He most recently visited Kansas for its home win against TCU in January and he is still hoping that he and 2017 point guard Trae Young – his summer teammate with MoKan Elite – can play together in college.

To that end, Porter said a program that didn't make the cut when he shortened his list to Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Stanford, Syracuse, UCLA, Virginia and Washington has been making some noise.

"Oklahoma has snuck back in there," said Porter. "Trae and I have been talking about them a lot lately."

It isn't a one-man show at Father Tolton as Michael Porter's younger brother, Jontay Porter, is a big piece of the puzzle as well. The four-star power forward, who has already committed to Washington, deserves some run of his own.

Over the last year, Porter has filled out and is a sturdy 6-foot-9 interior player who plays with skill and versatility of his own.

On Friday, Porter was good for 11 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. He powered home dunks, he ripped rebounds and got the break started with both outlet passes and the dribble. He also showed promise as a short- to medium-range jump shooter.

This summer, Porter will team with his older brother again when he plays for a MoKan Elite 17U group that figures to be one of the most talented teams in Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League.

Ted Kapita was supposed to play college basketball at Arkansas this season. However, the No. 53 player in the final 2015 Rivals150 was not ruled a full qualifier out of Huntington (W.Va.) Prep.

So, the 6-foot-8 power forward decided to spend a year at Daytona Beach (Fla.) DME Academy getting his academics in order. Now, Arkansas' loss is SMU's gain after the four-star Kapita pulled the trigger on a commitment to Larry Brown's Mustangs.

Kapita is raw with his footwork and his effort can come and go at times. But, he is physically ready to play the college game and has the tools to play as a power finisher around the rim or step out to make 12- to 15-foot jump shots. His ability to make an early impact for the Mustangs will correlate directly with how quickly he's able to pick up Brown's schemes and process the speed of the college game.

With Kapita – who is from Congo – in the fold, SMU's recruiting class takes on an international flavor. He joins four-star Australian power forward Harry Froling, Aussie guard Tom Wilson and three-star combo guard DaShawn McDowell.

Dan Majerle is doing an excellent job of positioning Grand Canyon University as it has made the transition from Division II to Division I. The 'Lopes are 24-4 on the season and currently in second place in the WAC with a 10-2 conference record. Now they have what has to be considered a marquee commitment for them in three-star small forward Oscar Frayer.

A former member of the Rivals150 and one-time California commit, Frayer is a 6-foot-6 high-flyer out of Hayward (Calif.) Moreau Catholic. He isn't the most polished perimeter player just yet, but he will be an extreme athlete with great size for his position in the WAC. Frayer could have easily ended up somewhere back on the high-major level but his ability to finish at the rim gives him a chance to be an immediate producer at Grand Canyon.

A few weeks ago Rivals.com profiled three-star point guard Justin Roberts. The son of Kansas assistant Norm Roberts, Roberts told Rivals.com that he has committed to Toledo. Roberts visited Toledo on Valentine's Day weekend and they were able to win him over. Roberts lacks great height, but he is strong, has a very good pull-up jumper and plays with the kind of feel that you would expect from the son of a coach.

Finally, Arkansas added a fifth piece to its 2016 recruiting puzzle when 6-foot-4 shooting guard C.J. Jones committed. A product of Birmingham (Ala.) Central Park Christian, Jones is a former Chattanooga pledge and committed to Mike Anderson while on his official visit in Fayetteville. Jones is a slim shooter with range who joins a class that already includes junior college guards Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon, junior college forward Arlando Cook and high school combo forward Adrio Bailey.

One of the most frequently asked questions that I've fielded over the past few weeks is: When will you update your rankings?

The answer: Soon. Very soon.

While the final Rivals150 for the class of 2016 won't happen until mid- to late April, the rankings for both 2017 and 2018 will be updated next week.

The class of 2017's Rivals150 will get revamped next Tuesday while the current top 25 for 2018 will get expanded to a top 50 a few days later.

In 2017, there is likely shakeup coming to the top, while Marvin Bagley looks to have a pretty strong hold on the top spot in 2018.

Stay tuned.