The Thon Maker story is well told already; a child in Sudanwho moved to Australia, then discovered by now-legal guardian Edward Smith. Maker was a tall, awkward soccer player, but decided to move to the United States to play basketball, a sport Maker could use his height to his advantage. From that point, he has moved to numerous places in the States, and has settled in Canada at Athlete Institute Basketball Academy, where brother Matur — who came to the States a few years after Thon — and highly regarded recruit Jamal Murray also attend.
Wild, right?
Wait until you hear about his recruitment.
The Curious Recruitment of Thon Maker
Maker blossomed under the guidance of Smith, and became well known by his sophomore year. The seven-foot, 200 pound kid was fun to watch, and produced ultra-exciting YouTube video. He was still in the class of 2016 at this point, and was proclaimed the number one player in the class by most fans. Those fans would constantly compare him to Kevin Durant, though Scout.com’s Evan Daniels calls that “beyond absurd.”
Maker’s sky-high expectations were lowered in this past year. His weight — hovering around 215 lbs — and his lack of lower body strength have been pressing concerns for him. Sub-par play against high level competition has not helped Maker either. He scored a mere two points in the Nike Hoop Summit, but that game included some positives as well. Maker was a defensive presence, although he only blocked one shot. Maker also pulled down 10 rebounds, with five at each end.
That’s the very reason Maker has college coaches at his doorstep, though. His defensive instincts will undoubtedly translate to the next level, and could be a huge difference maker for any school. He won’t be the most productive offensive player coming into college, but he could make improvements throughout the season.
Right now, 247Sports has Arizona State, Kentucky, and Kansas as Maker’s top three college choices. Indiana has be rumored to be in the conversation as well, especially with Maker’s Facebook picture featuring jersey’s of Kentucky and Indiana.
Okay, yes, that was posted by a fake account, (people these days making fake social media accounts of high school kids), but the Hoosiers are still in the conversation, nonetheless.
Arizona State just recently jumped into the conversation, much to the surprise of many following Maker’s recruitment. The Sun Devils hiring of assistant coach Brian Merrit — who is a close friend of Smith — was the spark that ignited Arizona State’s opportunity to land Maker. The hiring of ex-Buffalo coach Bobby Hurley was also a positive showing for Smith.
“A good friend of mine was just hired at Arizona State in Brian Merritt. They have Bob Hurley from Buffalo and he won there with less talent. We spoke to Brian and we are going to look at them some,” Smith told Scout a few weeks ago.
Arizona State is obviously a legitimate contender in Maker’s recruitment, and could really shake up the landscape of college basketball.
Kentucky is another team in the running for Maker’s service. Kentucky has a ton to offer Maker at this point in the recruiting season, as the Wildcats only have three freshman coming to Lexington next season. That is a good number for most programs, but not Kentucky — they are replacing seven early draft entrees. Plus, John Calipari doesn’t have a true power forward on the roster. Incoming freshman Skal Labissiere will start at center, and senior Alex Poythress is a natural small forward, but could be pushed up a spot due to a lack of the position. Maker can play outside-in, and would spread the floor well for the Wildcats. He would be a match-up nightmare for opponents that have to worry about Labissiere as well.
Smith also liked Calipari’s handling of talented NBA prospects, and especially the “combine” that Calipari hosted for his recruits. In October, Smith called the combine a “game-changer.”
Kentucky coaches also visited Maker on March 4th according to 247Sports.
Indiana and Kansas, the other two teams in Maker’s top four, have more curious cases though.
For Indiana, Maker praised Tom Crean in August last summer, specifically his late-game execution and preparation. Also, he took an unofficial visit on March 7th, per 247Sports. The Hoosiers have spots in their front court that are waiting to be filled, and Maker could fill it.
There just is not much information on Kansas, so it’s hard to get a read on their stance in all of this. Cheick Diallo — a five-star power forward — recently committed to Bill Self, and is a similar energy pyer to Maker. Maker said he had a “comfortable visit” to Kansas last summer, but that’s nothing to rave about in terms of their chances at landing Maker. That said, this is basketball recruiting, and any situation is possible.
The curving road to ultimately picking a college basketball team is nearing an end for Maker, and the whole country will be waiting eagerly to see what school he picks. Whoever the lucky winner is, they’re going to have one heckuva player on their team.
