Howard Basketball

Howard University big man Makur Maker has withdrawn his name for consideration for the 2021 NBA draft, per ESPN's Olgun Uluc.

The 20-year-old averaged 11.5 points, 6.0 rebounds in 24.0 minutes over two games for Howard. The Bison's season was limited to just five games because of health and safety concerns related to COVID-19.

The 6'11", 235-pound big man was ranked 16th in ESPN's Top 100 list of the class of 2020 boys' high school basketball prospects. He was given a 94 grade on a 100-point scale and had offers from Kentucky, Kansas and others.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski also gave a picture of a long and winding road that Maker needed to take to get to the draft:

"He was born in Kenya to South Sudanese parents, emigrated to Perth, Australia, in 2001 and moved to California in 2015. He joined his cousins (Detroit Pistons forward) Thon and Matur Maker in Ontario, and was home-schooled from 2016 to 2018 while attending showcases in the United States. He first started to receive NBA attention at the Pangos All-American Camp and Adidas Nations in the summer of 2017.

"Makur Maker's recruiting profile increased with his play on the summer AAU circuit with Dream Vision, averaging 14.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and one block in 26 minutes per game. He shot 73 percent from two-point range, 30 percent from three and 61 percent from the free-throw line."

Tom Westerholm of MassLive.com broke down what makes Maker stand out:

"At nearly 7-feet tall, Maker is intriguing due to his mobility and fluidity. He's a good athlete with an uncommon skill set for his size—a solid handle, a competent three-point shot and a good ability to get out in transition quickly. Defensively, his mobility is promising, since modern bigs are expected to move quickly laterally and help contain opponents on the perimeter."

Although he won't be entering the draft next year, he can raise his profile with a full year at Howard for his sophomore campaign. The talent and potential are there for Maker, who can eventually emerge as a first-round draft prospect given his athleticism and versatility on both ends.

Makur Maker is reportedly going to turn pro after playing one college season at Howard University. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Maker is declaring for the 2021 NBA draft. The 20-year-old won't sign with an agent, though, giving him the ability to return to school. 

Per ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Maker became the first 5-star prospect to commit to a historically Black college or university since the network's recruiting database began in 2007. 

247Sports' composite rankings had Maker ranked as the No. 4 center and No. 18 overall player in the 2020 class. 

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman doesn't have Maker among the top 50 players in the 2021 draft class on his most recent big board.

A groin injury limited Maker to just two games during the 2020-21 season. Howard announced in February it was canceling the remainder of its season because of ongoing COVID-19 issues within the program. 

The 6'11" center averaged 11.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in his two appearances. 

Makur Maker made history in committing to Howard, becoming the highest-touted basketball prospect to commit to a historically Black college or university. 

Maker made it clear, however, he'll probably only be at Howard for one season. 

"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 said Thursday on ESPN's First Take. "My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA, and if that's gonna take me a year, I'm definitely all for it. If it's gonna take me two years, I'm definitely all for it. I know I'm an NBA lottery talent, and when I go in there, I'm gonna work and see how things play out from there, but if I'm good in a year, I'm definitely out."

Maker is the No. 17 overall prospect in the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports. While he's a talented, fluid big man who flashes guard skills, Maker is a polarizing pro prospect. He originally declared for the 2020 NBA draft in April, and ESPN's Jonathan Givony ranked him as the No. 75 prospect in a generally weak class.

A dominant year at Howard, a Division I program in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, could be the thing the 6'11", 235-pound Kenya native needs to solidify himself as a first-round pick, but there is no guarantee of a 2020-21 men's basketball season. Several universities around the country have been forced to stop their voluntary workouts on campuses because of COVID-19 outbreaks. 

The Ivy League announced Wednesday it will not hold fall sports in 2020 because of the pandemic. Additionally, the NCAA has said it will only hold sports this year if it is deemed safe for students to return to campuses.

It's possible that Maker's Howard debut does not come until 2021-22 if the pandemic is not under control by the basketball season. 

Makur Maker announced Friday he's committed to play college basketball at Howard in an effort to spark a movement of more top recruits choosing historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Maker, a 5-star prospect and the No. 17 overall player in the 2020 class in 247Sports' composite rankings, selected the Bison amid offers from Kentucky, Oregon, UCLA and USC.

Mikey Williams, a promising combo guard in the 2023 class, hinted Thursday he's also leaning toward selecting an HBCU:

Maker's choice of Howard and Williams' comments come as 10-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul prepares to shine a spotlight on HBCU basketball programs with a docuseries filmed during the 2020-21 season.

Dade Hayes of Deadline reported the series, produced by Paul's Ohh Dip!!! Productions in coordination with Roadside Entertainment, will take an "intimate look at the challenges HBCU schools face in competing with bigger programs to attract top basketball recruits."

Paul told Hayes he's "started to pay more attention" to the situation as he's gotten older after growing up near Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina.

"There was an HBCU right in my backyard. For some reason, I just didn't really think of it," the Wake Forest product said. "Today, kids' mindsets have changed. We hope that this show will keep that conversation going."

In April, Maker declared for the 2020 NBA draft but confirmed he was keeping his options open since the coronavirus pandemic had altered the predraft process.

"I was planning on getting some workouts with some teams; I still do not know how that is going to go," Maker told 247Sports' Evan Daniels. "But with corona, everything has changed everyone's plans."

He added: "The NBA G League reached out and approached my coach, but if it's not the NBA then I'm going to go to college because I'm young and still want to learn more."

Maker is a modern post player with a versatile offensive game that stretches to the three-point line. He's also flashed a major impact at the defensive end thanks to his 6'11" frame and athleticism, though he'll have to bulk up from his current 235 pounds as he moves through college and eventually the NBA.

The Hillcrest Prep product joins a Howard program that struggled during the 2019-20 campaign. The Bison posted a 4-29 record, including a 1-15 mark in MEAC play, and finished 350th out of 353 Division I programs in the KenPom rankings.

Landing a commitment from Maker is a major step as Kenny Blakeney, a former Duke player who took over the Bison in 2019, tries to turn things around at the Washington, D.C., school.

The 2008-2009 season was a disappointing year for the Bison. They finished 8-23 for the season and 6-10 in the conference. There was however a couple of bright spots that the team could use to build on for this upcoming year.

One of the bright spots was the huge win over the Oregon State Beavers in the Burr Gymnasium last year. The gym was packed to capacity with the anticipation that new president Barack Obama would attend to watch his brother-in-law Craig Robinson coach the game.

The game was a nail-biter that went down to the wire and the Bison won the game. Beating a Pac-10 team, something they have never done before. Another big accomplishment the Bison had last year were the five consecutive home wins they had during conference play. Just when things were starting to look-up for the Bison, inconsistency reared it's ugly head and they lost there last four games including the first round lost to Florida A&M in the MEAC conference tournament.

KEY LOSSES:

The Bison have to replace a awful lot this year. First team All Conference guard Eugene Myatt has graduated. He was the only Bison to average double figures (15ppg) and over 30 minutes a game last season. His scoring will be missed.

Also gone is Randy Hampton. He did everything for the Bison score, rebound, defend, etc. Hampton filled up the stat sheets every game and the team needs a viable replacement.

The Bison had three players transfer over the summer. They would have made major contributions to the team this year. Torrance Timothy who was a versatile player with three point range transferred to Blinn College. Guard, Chris McHenry who was putting up some impressive offensive numbers his freshman year, transferred to Garden City. McHenry scored a freshman record 29 points against Wyoming last season. Sophomore forward Anthony Thomas, who was a solid rebounder off the bench left for American International.

KEY RETURNS:

With all the turn over on the Bison roster. They actually have a nucleus of experienced players. The senior class of Paul Kirkpatrick, Kandi Mukole, Curtis White & Nate Cooper have all been contributing since their freshman year.

Adam Walker the junior forward from the famed High School Christ The King is expected to take his game to the next level with the losses of Hampton and Myatt. Also expected to pick up the scoring slack is guard Kyle Riley. Riley is a high flyer who can put up in points in a hurry.

After missing the second half of the season, point guard Calvin Thompson is expected to have an immediate impact. Thompson can get anywhere he wants on the court and loves attacking the basket. He will be looked upon to get teammates involved as well as put points on the board.

Two unexpected contributors helped the team during an injury spell last season. Those players are Yannick Braimbridge who was a solid defensive presence on the perimeter and C.J. Prince who turned out to be a dangerous three point specialist off the bench..

FRESHMAN:

7.Yes, the Bison have seven new freshman on the roster. Some of these freshman will have to play and make an immediate impact if the Bison want to make some noise this season. There are three big men Charles DeCosta, Mike Phillips & Luke Russell. All 3 are 6'8 and bring much needed height. The rest are forwards Dadrian Collins, Gary Lawrence and guards Anton Dickerson & Tyreak Johnson.

OVERALL:

In order for the Bison to have a good season the experienced nucleus are going to need to step up their offensive production.

Starting with Calvin Thompson who has the skill to excel on the court. He is a sound player on both sides of the ball. It's just a matter of him staying healthy and putting his mind to it.

White is a big time three point threat and is efficient offensively, but has been playing out of position for some time now. His return to the perimeter should increase his offensive output. Kyle Riley should led the team in scoring this year. He is no longer coming off the bench and should have his best season so far.

Walker is a terror on the boards and can alter the game with his shot blocking. He is also gifted offensively but has not quite put it all together, will this be the year? His back-up is Kandi Mukole. Mukole can stretch the floor with his shooting and is a menace on the boards. If he can become a presence down low this season that would be a huge boost

Kirkpatrick is also a good shot-blocker and is a dunking machine, he dunks everything. He is the x-factor for the Bison. If he can become a go-to guy in the post he will open up the game for the rest of the players and make the Bison a tough team to beat come conference time. Nate Cooper the backup center is a defensive presence who rebounds and has a knack for drawing charges.

The Bison open up the season against the Indiana Hoosiers in South Bend. The Hoosiers are also bringing in a load of freshman. This game should go to the wire and if the Bison are up for the challenge like they were against Oregon St then a upset may be in store.