Makur Maker, the younger brother of Thon Maker and a top-20 prospect in the 2020 recruiting class, made a landmark decision last week by committing to Howard University. Maker becomes the first top recruit to play at a historically Black college or university (HBCU) in over three decades.
Interestingly, Maker has followed LaMelo Ball’s path since the moment he left for the NBL. Maker himself considered following Ball and RJ Hampton to Australia as he kept all options open during his recruitment.
In the wake of his commitment, Maker noted that Ball’s decision to compete in Australia played a part in his decision.
“I figured if LaMelo Ball could go to Australia, play in facilities like that, and still be considered a top NBA prospect, why not Howard?”
Maker’s decision is yet another example of prospects not taking the traditional route to the NBA. On top of Ball and Hampton last season, Jalen Green created his own path through the NBA G League next season along with Daishen Nix and Isaiah Todd.
The biggest factor in this, though, is that Ball was able to not only maintain his status as a prospect but increase his draft stock while playing in the NBL. Fellow prospects seeing that likely played a role in their decision-making in recent months leading to all the unique paths taken.
