WaPo columnist's interesting take on Otto Porter

Jason Reid of the Washington Post wrote a pretty flattering column about Scott County Central grad and current Georgetown freshman standout Otto Porter.

I think Reid covered a lot of ground that those in Southeast Missouri have known for a while, namely that Porter is a team-oriented player whose fundamentals are incredibly sound. I remember watching Porter take shot after shot in practice at SCC, and his shot was so fluid. It was a thing of beauty.

But Reid mentioned two things that really caught my eye. First, he mentioned almost in passing something that has been bandied about in these parts. That's Porter playing in the NBA one day. Reid wrote, "Like many standout freshmen at major programs, Porter possesses the physical tools to someday succeed in the NBA. Basketball smarts and maturity set him apart."

The biggest knock I heard about Porter during his high school career was that he was dominating in high school, but he didn't have the body and strength to compete at an elite Division I college. He's proving that wrong every time he takes the court for the Hoyas. He's leading his team in rebounding and he's fourth in scoring.

I've heard a few times the same knock as high school. Sure, he's doing well in college, but he doesn't have the body and strength to compete in the NBA. I think his shot and nose for rebounds will translate well, and apparently others agree.

The second thing in Reid's column that caught me eye was about the competition that Porter played in high school. Reid wrote, "Instead of spending summers touring with AAU teams, Otto Jr. worked on his game while battling his father and uncles. Although Porter faced relatively weak competition in high school, the talent at home pushed him."

There's no doubt basketball games involving Otto's dad, uncles and cousins featured plenty of talent, but what do you think of Reid's assessment of basketball in Southeast Missouri? Sure, there were teams the Braves blew out, but SCC also played some solid teams. The last four years have featured some talented players in Southeast Missouri, plus the Braves traveled to face better competition, including Chicago Simeon last year. The competition isn't at the level of New York City or other major metropolitan cities, but it also isn't a bunch of pushovers taking the court in our neck of the woods. What do you think?