5-Star Basketball Recruit Makur Maker Just Changed the Game for HBCU’s
The college basketball world is in a frenzy after finding out the decision of top basketball recruit Makur Maker. Maker decided to commit to Howard University, a Historically Black College, over the likes of UCLA, Kentucky, and Memphis.
Maker’s decision has sparked a movement for other top players throughout the country. In the future, more HBCU’s could see commitments from other big-time players.
Here’s what you need to know about Makur Maker
Makur Maker is the cousin of NBA player Thon Maker, who plays for the Detroit Pistons. At 6-foot-11, Makur is a versatile big man who displays a lot of talent for a high school player. He is ranked No. 16 in the ESPN 100 for the 2020 class. Makur also entered his name in the NBA draft, but there’s a high chance he could withdraw if he’s not expected to be a first-round pick. He was born in Kenya and spent some time living in Australia. He moved to California in 2015.
During his freshman year, he played at Chaminade College Prep in West Hills, Los Angeles. He averaged 9.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. Throughout his high school career, he played for five different schools. Makur finished his final year playing Hillcrest Prep Academy in Arizona. During his high school career, he received a lot of attention from people across the country because of how skilled he was as a big man.
On April 25, he decided to declare for the NBA draft. Makur is one of the top centers in the high school class of 2020. Watching his highlights, you can see how talented this young man is and how much of a force he can be on the court. As he continues to get older, his game will mature, and he will also get stronger.
Makur Maker making history with his commitment
Often, you see top recruits committing to the top basketball schools like Duke, Kansas, Arizona, or Kentucky. But Maker decided to change it up. When Maker made his commitment to Howard, he became the highest-ranked recruit to commit to an HBCU in the modern recruiting era. On his Twitter page, he wrote, “I was the 1st to announce my visit to Howard & other started to dream ‘what if,’” he said. “I need to make the HBCU movement real so that others will follow. I hope to inspire guys like Mikey Williams to join me on this journey. I am committing to Howard U & coach Kenny Blakeney.”
Maker took a visit to Howard last fall during the same month when five-star guard Josh Christopher too an official visit there. Christopher ultimately committed to Arizona State. With Maker’s commitment, other top players will start to look more into HBCUs and consider them as an option.
What will the future look like for HBCU programs?
This topic has been gaining interest for a while. People have talked about the thought of top Black basketball players committing to HBCUs. These HBCU schools have started to become more involved in recruiting top high school athletes, especially in the class of 2021 and 2022. College basketball could change a lot if a majority of these top athletes decide to attend HBCUs.
Maker has started a movement, and there’s a good chance that others will follow in his footstep and commit to other HBCU schools. One thing for sure is that people will remember Makur for the decision that he made.
