Just remember who came first. As late as, I dunno, a month ago, I was pretty much the only Puma spokesperson (unpaid and unrecognized, unfortunately) in the US, or at least in the midwest. But now Mizzou has produced an, um, more high-profile Missourian to rep the brand.

Not going to lie: I’m going to buy these in every color.

(At least until I find out they’re like $175 or something. Then I’ll only buy a couple of pairs.)

Some other MPJ tidbits on Draft Day:

The KC Star wonders about MPJ’s destination and its impact on Missouri recruiting.

The 6-foot-10 forward’s ability to influence recruiting can’t be measured until his pro career is underway, but if he goes to the right market, he could resonate with players that Missouri might not have otherwise recruited.

“I think it might have a little extra pull,” said Eric Bossi, a national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, based in Kansas City. “I think the greater thing that would be influential is producing more draft picks. Missouri will be helped in Dallas or Chicago far more by producing more guys to the NBA than they would by Michael Porter being there. But having a little name recognition in that area wouldn’t hurt at all.”

And finally, Michael Sr. wrote a letter to his son:

Congratulations, man! It has been like a dream to witness your growth and share life with you!

One of the sayings in today’s chapter of Proverbs begs us to not stop listening to correction, lest we forget what we’ve already learned (Proverbs 19:27). As you stand on the precipice of realizing your dreams of playing basketball in the NBA, I know (and I hope you know) that a billion seductive and persuasive voices will be vying for influence/control of your mind, your heart, your affections and your choices. The onslaught will be real and never ending.

At the end of the day please know that I get it, and you don’t have to hide anything from me, Mike. Ever.

Yesterday at Rock M

More Links:

• You should already own this year’s Athlon preview because I wrote in it. (Athlon’s Mitch Light came on PAPN last week.) But if that somehow doesn’t sway you, how about this: there’s a lot of Mizzou love in there.

Mizzou Football saw 11 standout players earn a spot on the Athlon Sports 2018 Preseason All-SEC Teams with two of those 11 – senior DT Terry Beckner, Jr. and sophomore TE Albert Okwuegbunam – earning Preseason All-America nods from the national publication. Mizzou’s 11 selections are tied with Alabama for the second-most in the SEC, trailing only Georgia (13). Of the 11 selected to the preseason All-SEC teams, three were first team choices, including Beckner, Okwuegbunam and Fatony.

• Yep, I lol’d.

• Well, we know three-quarters of Mizzou’s 2021 non-conference schedule, and it’s ... certainly a schedule of three teams. That’s really all I can say about it. We already knew about a September 25 game at Boston College and an October 16 battle with North Texas (likely for Homecoming). Now we know the season opener is against CMU.

• You can cross one Mizzou OL target off the list. Riley Simonds is a Gator.

• Why I think Ben Askren might still deserve the nod over J’den Cox and Karissa Schweizer in the Mizzou’s Greatest debate: NINETY-ONE PINS. And two Hodge trophies. And an unbeaten MMA record. But ... NINETY-ONE PINS.

• Heart emojis.
• The Missourian checked in on former Mizzou football coach Warren Powers and his battle with Alzheimer’s, truly one of the more asshole diseases in this world.
• Hey, wanna watch Karissa Schweizer run this afternoon?

(By the way, happy birthday, Mrs. Bill C. Twenty years young today.)