Michael Porter Jr.’s got “plans,” and a former Cuonzo Martin signee asks for his release

Welcome to the MPJ Daily!

On Monday morning, Michael Porter Jr. posted his latest blog entry for USA Today High School Sports, explaining why he chose Mizzou. It is in some ways a rehash of things he’s already said, but there’s still some red meat for Tiger fans in there.

I’m definitely expecting next year to be a big year for us and people don’t know this, but I’ve got some big plans. I’m working behind the scenes to make 2017-18 be a big year for Missouri basketball!

I think we’re gonna surprise a lot of people.

I’ve never been a guy to lose, ever, so I don’t expect to start next year.

What are those “plans”? Obviously we’re not going to know too many specifics until after the fact, but they might include...

Kevin Knox

Sam talked about the five-star wing briefly yesterday, and Knox recently talked to Rivals.com.

On Missouri getting in the race:

I don’t know. Michael (Porter) and Blake Harris has been in my ear a lot. They’ve been trying to see if they can get me to go on a visit up there. It’s not solid now. I’m definitely looking into it, my parents are going to see, but it’s really tough to put stuff in now but Mike is in my ear and I’m gonna talk to coach in a little bit but it’s not really solid yet.

Jemarl Baker

MPJ’s “plans” might soon include Baker, anyway.

Baker is a 6’2, top-100 shooting guard (not necessarily a PG), and if he asked out of his LOI because he was more attached to the head coach than the Cal basketball program ... well ... it would make sense that he and said coach might be in touch soon. And that’d be pretty great.

See for yourself. He doesn’t always go straight up on his jumper, but it almost doesn’t matter because the ball’s out of his hands so fast.

Basketball recruiting rumors are suddenly a lot more fun to follow!

Other Basketball Links:

• MPJ is in Chicago for McDonald’s All American Game practices — he’s the West team’s headliner, and he looked the part on Monday. “He scored at the rim, he hit deep jumpers and he certainly caught the attention of the 50-plus NBA personnel seated along the baseline.”
• Dave Matter talked about father-son package deals on Monday. Spoiler: They’re not rare. “Such arrangements might seem to cross an ethical boundary, but they’re perfectly legal under the watch of the NCAA. Family-oriented package deals are nothing new in college basketball, and even though the Porter case stirs up the obligatory tsk-tsks from the social media morality police, there’s one fan base that knows better than to bash the move: You shouldn’t hear a peep of criticism from Kansas.”
• Once we’re done bathing in 2017 rumors, it’s time to move on to 2018, and four-star St. Louis Whitfield shooting guard Torrence Watson expects to be hearing from Cuonzo Martin in the next couple of weeks.

More Links:

• Classy former Mizzou coaches are classy.

• After the first lost series of the year, Mizzou Baseball tries to rebound against a familiar foe: The Tigers host SEMO, Steve Bieser’s former employer, at 3pm CT today at Taylor Stadium. Listen on KTGR or stream on SEC+.
• It’s award season! Sophie Cunningham: honorable mention All-American.