It has been a long time, four decades to
be precise since a five-star recruit that wanted to come to a Historically
Black College/University (HBCU) to continue their athletic career. Last week,
one of the top basketball prospects did just that when he choose to take his
talents to talents to our nation’s capital to go to school and play basketball.
Early Friday morning on social media, 6-foot-11 center Makur Maker from Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix and Pacific Academy in Irvine, CA told the world that he committed to attend Howard University to attend school and play basketball later this fall, passing up playing for the University of Kentucky, UCLA and Memphis, becoming the first five-star recruit in 40 years to choose an HBCU since Earl Jones played at ironically enough The University of District of Colombia in 1980, where he was a two-time National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Player of the Year in 1983 and 1984, and a three-time First-Team Parade All-American from 1978-80.
The 19-year-old native of Kenya and the No. 4 ranked center in the Class of 2020, according to 247Sports.com initially said from his Twitter account @MakurMaker last Thursday that he would announce his decision of where he was going to attend college this week but made his decision last Friday at 3:38 a.m.
Maker tweeted last Friday, “I was the 1st to announce my visit to Howard & others started to dream “what if.” I need to make the HBCU movement real so that others will follow. I hope I inspire guys like Mikey Williams to join me on this journey. I am committing to Howard U & coach Kenny Blakeney #MakerMob.”
Williams, the No. 3 ranked player in the 2023 class has been expressing interest in attending an HBCU.
In response to Maker’s comment via Twitter, Williams tweeted @619PRESIDENTIAL, “We will make change!!! Thankyou bro!! @MakurMaker #HBCU.”
Five-star senior guard Josh Christopher also
considered attending an HBCU when he visited Howard last season, as did Maker.
Ultimately though, Christopher committed to going to the University of Arizona.
When asked what will open the floodgates for more college prospects to consider HBCU’s as their primary option for college, Maker said, “Just people considering it seriously. I think some top recruits have already looked into HBCUs after we took our visit in October during Howard Homecoming. Mikey Williams is very engaged into this movement, some other top recruits also.”
“Just players taking visits, either making it your first visit or a last visit between all the other schools it will kind of shock you and you’re like, ‘OK, I want to be on this campus.’ That’s kind of what happened to me, so just taking a visit and being engaged into what’s happening.”
When Maker, the cousin of Detroit Pistons forward/center
Thon Maker visited Howard in October 2019, it was before the current wave of
the “Black Lives Matter” movement that really spoke up to the world in the wake
of the murder of 47-year-old George Floyd at the hands of four Minneapolis, MN
Police Officers back on May 25.
“I like the approach of Coach Blakeney, who’s like, “Look at Howard. It’s groundbreaking,” Ed Smith, Maker’s guardian said in October. “It’s something where you can come in like a Ja Morant [now of the Memphis Grizzlies] did for Murray State and you could carve your own space. And we’ll play a tough schedule, we’ll build it around you.”
“If you’re going to go the mid-major route, then why not Howard? At the end of the day, I’m from the area. You’re in the nation’s capital, beautiful city. I’m comfortable with the area knowing the people that will be around him.”
Attending Howard or college at all was not Maker’s mind initially. He announced back in April that he was declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft because of the fact that he turned 19 years old in November 2019 and was one year removed from his draft class.
Maker was not projected to be drafted this year, according to ESPN.com’s latest mock. But Maker was projected to be the No. 21 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by ESPN.com’s Jonathan Givony, who also reported back in October 2019 that Maker’s camp submitted paperwork that petitioned for his eligibility into the 2020 NBA Draft.
That all changed when the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic hit not just our nation but the whole world.
The choice Maker made to attend college seems like a good one because an unnamed NBA executive said according to Forbes.com late last week that while Maker “has talent,” he is not as “talented” as his cousin Thon and Makur is “not ready for the NBA.”
While Maker hopes to be a “game-changer” in how high school athletes see HBCU’s, he admitted that he may attend HU for only one year.
When he was asked by Max Kellerman on Thursday morning’s edition of ESPN’s “First Take” if he feels any pressure to attend Howard beyond his freshmen year to entice other top recruits who may want to choose to play for HBCU’s like Howard.
“We’ll see how the future goes but if you’re a one-and-done talent, why not leave? That’s how I look at it,” Maker answered. “My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA and if that’s going to take me a year, I’m definitely all for it. If it’s going to take me two years, I’m definitely all for it.”
Maker added, “I know I’m an NBA Lottery talent. And when I go in there, I’m going to work and see how things play out from there. But if I’m good in a year, I’m definitely out.”
Another important part of that shift includes those players believing they can be a part of a team that will consistently be in contention for league championships and the possibility of playing in March Madness the entire time at an HBCU.
This past season, the Howard Bison’s produced a woeful 4-29 record, including a 1-15 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in Coach Blakeney’s first season.
Maker feels they will be much more competitive
with him onboard in Coach Blakeney’s second season.
“When I went to visit, I spoke with coach Kenny Blakeney and he’s built to win,” Maker said. “He’s played at Duke University and DeMatha [Catholic] High School and he’s also been at two Ivy League schools and knowing that he knows how to build a program. Just being around the players, they looked like they were ready to win.”
“So just coming into that situation, I know that we’re going to have to compete to win games.”
Even with Maker on board as part of a recruiting
class of 10 new players to be a part of the Bison basketball squad, they have tough
schedule if they get the okay to play this season. Their non-conference
schedule consists of tilts at Villanova on Nov. 3, at North Carolina State on
Nov. 15, at the University of Pennsylvania on Dec. 23, at Northwestern on Dec.
29, and versus Notre Dame on Jan. 18, 2021, Martin Luther King Day.
The Bison were also slated to play at Harvard and Yale from the Ivy League on Nov. 24 and Dec. 4 respectably as part of their non-conference schedule before the league cancelled all sports at least until Jan. 1, 2021.
“We get a chance to play against Notre Dame on Martin Luther King Day and I’m excited for that,” Maker said. “That shows we can compete with any team in the country.”
In a story for ESPN.com’s “The Undefeated,” his appearance on ESPN Daily Maker said the significance of him announcing his intent to attend an HBCU today July 9 is because it is South Sudan Independence Day, a celebration where nine years ago the place where Maker’s parents were born gained their independence from Sudan, which brought a conclusion to the longest civil war in the history of Africa.
“For me, South Sudan Independence Day is a celebration of peace, justice, unity and empowerment,” Maker said.
It never crossed the teen’s mind that what he tweeted as mentioned last Friday would send
shockwaves like it did across the sports universe.
Maker was surprised by it but received a lot of positive feedback from everywhere, feeling that the entire world is 100 percent behind his choice of where to continue his education and to play basketball at Howard University.
The main reason he decided to go to Howard instead of as mentioned UCLA, Kentucky or Memphis is because he wanted to be “different.”
That he wanted to change the culture and climate which had kept five-star recruits from looking at HBCUs as a serious option of continuing their education and playing sports.
“I have no idea why it’s been over 40 years that not even one five-star basketball player in the United States has decided to play basketball at an HBCU. But I do know, in this ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement that’s empowered and assembled many different people across the country and the world, that it won’t be another 40 years until it happens again.”
Maker’s high school basketball coach also played a role him reaching the decision to attend Howard.
His interest in attending HU began in the 2017-18 basketball season, where he had already gotten offers from some of the top schools in the nation. But his coach pulled him to the side one day and asked him, “Why don’t you think about Howard?”
Maker said that he did not pay much attention at first because his focus was on playing well during basketball season. When the season was over though and he got a chance to learn about the history of Howard, he saw that some of the leaders that make up the fabric of our great nation from Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, writer Toni Morrison, House of Representatives Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Senator Kamla Harris (D-CA), entertainment moguls like Sean “Diddy” Combs, actors Anthony Anderson and Chadwick Boseman, two people Maker said are his favorites to watch, and the first African American recipient of the Noble Peace Prize Ralph Bunche.
Maker also said that when he dug deeper into the history of Howard, he discovered the stellar list of academics, politicians, singers, actors, actresses, civil rights activists and well known individuals from across the globe that all came to continue their respective educational journeys at Howard University, and showed what you could do in life if you came there.
That was enough for Maker to plan a visit to attend “The Mecca” during their Homecoming last year, and as that trip got closer to happening the more he continued to hear that he was going to have the time of his life.
Someone told him that no school’s homecoming compares to a Howard homecoming, and he fully learned that once he got on campus.
“I visited a lot of schools unofficially since I was a freshmen in high school, but that weekend was the first time in my life I had ever been on the campus of an HBCU,” Maker said of his visit to HU back in October 2019. “One of the first things that went through my mind as I walked around was, ‘this feels like family.’ Black people like me for as far as you could see. Black people-students and alumni-all doing great things. Highly motivated people, successful people, and I tried to talk to as many of them as I could because I wanted to pick everybody’s brain.”
Maker even got to be a part of the famed Yardfest, which occurs on the Friday of Homecoming weekend and said it lived up to everything people told him about that day from the food, music, camaraderie and incredible love that everyone showed to each other from current students to alumni.
The main thing that Maker said he felt was the collective culture of the campus from everyone knowing each other’s names, the connection everyone had, their ambitions of what they wanted to do at HU and after and what they were pursing in life, which really appealed to him.
“There was a lot going on during that weekend, and I’m sure I got to experience only a fraction of everything that was happening. What I did experience, it felt like being with family,” Maker said.
While Maker did not get a chance to meet all the famous people that attended Howard that came back for Homecoming, he kept his focus on why he was there, to see if he wanted to play basketball for the Bison.
He wanted to get a good feel for the Bison athletic program and to be around the players and coaching staff to get a real sense of what life was like for the basketball team here.
After meeting with Coach Blakeney, Maker got the sense that he was building something special at HU. He was really impressed about how well Coach Blakeney was prepared for the job because of his background playing high school basketball for the late Hall of Famer Morgan Wooten at DeMatha and then collegiately at Duke for Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski.
What made Maker really secure about considering playing at Howard was the fact that Coach Blakeney was an assistant at two Ivy League institutions at Columbia and Harvard, meaning that he would impress on the importance of him and the importance of getting his education as well as his goal of reaching the NBA.
“His experience with those coaches and universities prepared him to coach at Howard and I feel his knowledge will set the bar and change the basketball culture,” Maker said. “There was a real connection as we spoke about basketball and about life, and I knew during that weekend that he was a coach that I could definitely play for.”
Maker really enjoyed how the players showed him a lot of love and that if he decided to come to Howard that they would have his back.
While the team has struggled in recent years to consistently win, Maker felt nothing put positive vibes and displayed a sense that Coach Blakeney is the person that was going to turn the program into a winner.
When a few people responded on social media about why would Maker pass up going to UCLA, Memphis, or Kentucky for Howard?
Being those three prominent basketball powerhouses that are prominently have their games televised on ESPN and FOX Sports, have championship traditions, and better facilities.
Those things did not cross the mind of Maker when he visited Howard because he grew up in Australia where some of the pro basketball facilities were about the same to what Howard University has.
He also figured if LaMelo Ball, the brother of New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball, the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers could go to Australia and play in facilities similar to Howard, and still be considered a top prospect in the 2020 NBA Draft, why not go to Howard?
“People sleep on the competitive nature of the MEAC,” Maker said. “The pace and open flow style of play of the MEAC is more similar to the NBA in my opinion. It’s a read and react league, so it will definitely help me get ready for the NBA.”
Maker said being the cousin of an NBA in the aforementioned Thon, he has worked out in nice weight rooms as well as worked out in an NBA facility.
A nice weight room Maker says does not guarantee you will have a successful NBA career. That in order to go far in basketball, it matters what is inside you and the willingness to make a non-negotiable commitment to perfecting your game.
Also there have been a number of current NBA players who went to small schools and made it to the pros and have put together stellar careers like two-time Kia MVP and three-time NBA champion guard Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, the No. 7 overall pick out of Davidson College in North Carolina. Former New York Knick and Chicago Bull Charles Oakley, who also played for the Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets in his 19-year NBA career (1985-2004) and NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 Rock Mahorn went to HBCUs in Virginia Union and now Hampton University respectably and had stellar NBA careers. The starting backcourt of the Portland Trail Blazers in five-time All-Star Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum attended Weber State and Lehigh respectably collegiately.
“So, I don’t need fancy. If you give me a tension band, I can get a good workout” Maker said about attending college to play basketball. What I need is to be surrounded by people who are willing to work hard. If we all work hard at Howard, we can change the direction of the program. And if we change the direction of the program, maybe that might inspire other top basketball players to come to an HBCU and do the same.”
Maker though in comparison to a lot of other players, especially top prospects that are African American do not consider attending an HBCU because they are nervous about their draft stock being downgraded or not being drafted at all or their nervous about the opinions from others.
More often than not, they simply do not want to make the sacrifice of not having thousands of eyes see them whether it is in person in a crowded arena on national television compared to maybe one pro scout or two really keying in on you and really giving you a real good look at you as a person and how you play the game.
“For me, I don’t see it as sacrifice. I see it as a contribution,” Maker said about attending an HBCU. “I’m an NBA lottery-level talent, so I don’t see this as having an impact on my future.”
One former NBA player who feels that Maker’s decision will have a major impact on college recruiting for years to come is current ESPN basketball analyst Kendrick Perkins, who called Maker a “trendsetter.”
“I love what you’re doing young fella. You’re starting a trend much needed for the HBCU,” Perkins, who was drafted No. 27 overall out of Clifton J. Ozen High School in Beaumont, TX by the Boston Celtics and helped them win a title in 2008 added. “I applaud you, and I’m giving you your flowers young fella. Great job.”
At the end of last week, Makur Maker decided where he wanted to continue his journey of making it to the NBA. He decided to forgo attending a traditional basketball powerhouse in Kentucky, UCLA or Memphis and decided on attending an HBCU at Howard University.
This is a choice he made on his own. Did the research on the school. Visited it during on their most prominent weekend Homecoming last October, met with the team, players, and head coach, along with taking in some of the pageantry of a Howard Homecoming.
Maker came away impressed from his visit and decided that this is where for however long he will be there will work to getting his education while also hoping to turn the Bison basketball squad into a winner, and positioning himself as best he can to be drafted as high as possible by the NBA in June 2021.
The aforementioned Jones, who was the last five-star recruit to commit to an HBCU and go was drafted No. 23 overall in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.
While his NBA career was short lived playing for the Lakers in 1984-85 and then for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1986, Jones did win a ring as a part of the Lakers when they took down the archrival Boston Celtics in The Finals in six games. He spent much of his career playing in the minor leagues of the then CBA for the Kansas City Sizzlers and Rockford Lightning, and overseas with the Pallacanestro Trieste, Olympique Antibes, and Joventut Badalona.
Maker hopes to make it to the NBA getting
drafted higher and lasting longer in “The Association.”
He took a major gamble and Maker is betting on himself while also making a bet that his choice will make other high school basketball players consider, really consider Historically Black Colleges/Universities as a real place for their education and to play sports.
“I just dare to be different,” Maker said. “When I say contribution, this is a way to change the narrative and inspire young people to consider HBCUs as an option. There’s a lot of real change happening around the world, and I want to show people that this HBCU movement is real.”
“It feels like everyone is watching me, checking to see how everything plays out. The only way this can be successful in the future is if I come in help make my teammates get better and dominate. If I’m able to do that, everything else will fall in line.”
“Who knows-maybe we can go back to a time where the best Black players considered HBCUs. An era when it wasn’t a shock to see an HBCU player drafted and have a successful professional career. One thing I do know is that I chose a university where I feel right at home. I chose a place where I will being-and leave-a legacy.”
Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 7/3/2020 www.zagblog.com story, “Five-Star Makur Maker Commits To HBCU Howard University,” by Ryan McMullen; 7/6/2020 www.zagsblog.com story, “Makur Maker, Howard Scheduled To Meet Villanova, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Harvard, Yale In Loaded Non-Conference,” by Adam Zagoria; 7/9/20205 p.m. edition of “NBA: The Jump,” on ESPN 2 with Amin Elhassan; Dave McMenamin, and Kendrick Perkins; 7/9/2020 www.forbes.com story, “Makur Maker Hopes To Be A Game-Changer For HBCUs, But Admits He Wants To Be One-And-Done,” by Adam Zagoria; 7/9/2020 www.theundefeated.com story, “Makur Maker On His Decision To Attend Howard: ‘I Want To Change The Culture,’” by Makur Maker, as told to Jerry Bembry; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Curry; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendrick_Perkins; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Jones_(basketball); and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Oakley.
No comments:
Post a Comment