Michael Porter out 4-6 months after car crash

Sikeston High grad and current Missouri State University basketball player Michael Porter will be out 4-6 months after he was hurt in a car crash late Wednesday night.

According to a Missouri Highway Patrol report, Porter was not wearing a seat belt when his car overturned at a sharp curve on a highway in Christian County, about 5 miles south of Rogersville. He was thrown from the vehicle.

The accident happened at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. The report filed by the patrol doesn't specify the cause of the accident.

Porter was taken to a Springfield hospital and underwent surgery on his hip.

MSU coach Cuonzo Martin told the News-Leader that it's "a true blessing that it was nothing more than his hip. There weren’t any broken arms, wrists, knee or any head injuries."

Martin said that Porter "has a long road of recovery ahead of him, but all things considered the doctors indicated he was very fortunate. I'm just thankful that he's going to be OK."

Porter, an all-stater at Sikeston, was slowed by a hamstring injury in the 2009-'10 season and played just six games. He scored 23 points and had 11 rebounds.

Porter was recently approved for a medical redshirt and has four seasons of eligibility remaining.