The announcement was much anticipated. But it never really came.

Butler junior Ethan Morton stood on stage, in front of his basketball teammates, numerous classmates, family members and coaches during a celebratory gathering at a hall in Butler Township Thursday night.

He uttered the words “I'm going to ...” and never said the name of his college destination. Instead, he pulled off his sweats to reveal a Purdue T-shirt.

And with that, Morton jumped off the stage, into a sea of well-wishers and began exchanging embraces with everyone in sight.

A bit over the top?

Perhaps.

But no one deserved a moment like that more than this kid.

Morton's college signing announcement was the most orchestrated I've ever seen by any kid in any sport anywhere.

He announced on Twitter two days earlier that he would be tweeting out his choice of school Thursday night.

He contacted different media members and outlets — myself included — to make sure everyone could share the announcement at the same time.

Morton accommodated different media outlets, taking the time to give each whatever it needed. In perhaps the most memorable time of his life, he thought about the media and how to be fair to everyone.

Nobody does that.

This kid did.

Ethan Morton is more than just a great basketball player. He's a once-in-a-generation type of player in his sport at the high school level.

I haven't seen a polished talent like his in my 40 years as a journalist. I don't expect to see one again.

But his likely 2,000-point career, incredible passing and ball handling skills aren't what I'll remember about Ethan Morton.

The way he handles himself, how polite and grounded he is, how he's all about his school and community and wanting to give back to it, and his excellence in the classroom are what I'll remember.

What kind of basketball career he will have at Purdue remains to be seen. A program of that caliber brings in a bevy of players wih talent like Morton possesses.

Maybe he will stand out at Purdue. Maybe he won't. Maybe he'll become one of the top players in the country and an NBA prospect. Maybe he won't.

All of that will eventually unfold, one way or the other.

Ethan Morton will succeed in life regardless.

He ranks among the top three in his class academically. He's going to graduate from college. He's going to launch himself into a lifelong career, either besides basketball or after it.

On a day's notice, a huge throng of people showed up at that Butler Township hall Thursday night for a reason. People gravitate toward him. They know he appreciates what each of them means in his life.

That's the personality of Ethan Morton. He is selfless, not self-absorbed.

Be proud of him, Butler.

This kid is one of a kind.