Basketball standout Michael Harthun will leave South Medford High following the end of the school year and move to the Portland area, his father said Friday.

Harthun, who helped the Panthers to the Class 6A state championship last month, is regarded as one of the better high school point guards in the nation. He's being recruited by a host of Division I colleges and has been offered scholarships by Washington State, Oregon State, Pepperdine and Montana.

Harthun's father, Steve, has worked as an insurance adjuster in the Portland and Salem areas for the past four years. The family considered moving last summer — they had their home for sale for several weeks — but changed their minds and allowed Michael one last season at South Medford, where he teamed with Duke-bound forward Kyle Singler to form the deadliest 1-2 punch in the state.

This time, Steve Harthun said, there is no turning back.

"We wanted Michael to have one more year with Kyle and they accomplished the ultimate, winning a state title," Steve Harthun said. "To have the season they did, and to finish it like they did, was like walking into the sunset.

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"But it's time for our family to be together again."

Steve Harthun, who's been living in Keizer and commuting to Medford on the weekends, said his family will look at schools and communities in the Portland suburbs the next two weekends.

"We're looking at the southern end of the Portland metro area," the elder Harthun said. "My territory extends from just north of Salem to the southern end of Portland, and we'll probably settle somewhere in that area.

"It's a hard decision, and basketball will be only a part of it."

The Harthuns also have a younger son, Brian, who will be a freshman in the fall, and an older daughter, Nicole.

Their home went back on the market two weeks ago. If it doesn't sell by the end of the summer, the family will move, anyway, Steve Harthun said.

"We'll rent it out if we have to," he added. "We are going to move."

Michael Harthun averaged 20 points and 4.7 assists in helping South Medford to a 27-3 record. He came up big in the state championship game, scoring 24 points and going 5-for-5 from the 3-point line in the Panthers' 58-54 win over Lake Oswego. He was named first-team all-tournament and second-team all-state.

The younger Harthun is now playing for the Oregon Rebels, a Eugene-based AAU team that is playing in tournaments throughout the country. The team will participate in the prestigious Kingwood Classic in Houston, Texas, on April 20-22 and play in Las Vegas the following weekend.

Additionally, Harthun will fly to New Jersey on June 29 and attend a Nike point guard camp directed by Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns, and on July 5 he'll journey to Akron, Ohio, and attend another Nike camp directed by Cleveland Cavaliers forward LaBron James.

"He's got a full plate this summer," Steve Harthun said. "He's really excited about all of his opportunities."

News of the Harthuns' impending departure troubled South Medford coach Dennis Murphy. The family met with him over spring vacation to let him know of their plans.

"Obviously, Michael has done some very good things for South Medford and the community of Medford, and I think he's gotten just as much back from them," Murphy said. "It would be a huge loss for us."

Without Harthun, South Medford will bring back only one returning starter, 6-5 junior-to-be E.J. Singler.

Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail dhunt@mailtribune.com