Gregory Payan / Associated Press
Makur Maker announced Friday that he has vowed to play college basketball at Howard in an effort to spark a movement of more recruits to choose historically black colleges and universities (HBCU).
Maker, a 5-star prospect and the 17th overall player in the 2020 class in the 247Sports Composite Ranking, selected the Bison from Kentucky, Oregon, UCLA and USC bids.
Makur Maker @ @MakurMaker
I was the first to announce my visit to Howard and others started dreaming “what if”. I need to make the HBCU movement real for others to follow me. I hope to inspire guys like Mikey Williams to join me on this journey. I commit to Howard U and coach Kenny Blakeney #MakerMob
Mikey Williams, a promising on-call combo in the 2023 class, hinted Thursday that he is also inclined to select an HBCU:
Mikey Williams @ @619 PRESIDENTIAL
About to drive people crazy with this! 🗣 #HBCU
Maker’s pick from Howard and Williams’ comments comes as the 10-time NBA All-Star, Chris Paul, prepares to highlight HBCU’s basketball shows with a docuseries filmed during the 2020-21 season.
Dade hayes Deadline’s reported 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 larger shows to attract the best basketball recruits.”
Paul told Hayes that he “began to pay more attention” to the situation as he grew up after growing up near Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina.
“There was an HBCU right in my backyard. For some reason, I really didn’t think about it,” said the Wake Forest product. “Today, the children’s mindset has changed. We hope this show keeps that conversation going.”
In April, Maker testified for the 2020 NBA draft, but confirmed that he was keeping his options open as the coronavirus pandemic had altered the pre-draw process.
“I was planning to do some training with some teams; I still don’t know how that is going to go,” Maker told 247Sports. ‘ Evan Daniels. “But with the crown, everything has changed everyone’s plans.”
He added: “The NBA G League approached and approached my coach, but if it is not the NBA, I will go to college because I am young and I still want to learn more.”
Maker is a modern post player with a versatile offensive game that extends to the three-point line. He also made a big impact on the defensive end with his 6’11 “frame and athleticism, though he will have to gain his current 235 pounds as he progresses through college and eventually into the NBA.
The Hillcrest Prep product joins the Howard program that had problems during the 2019-20 campaign. The Bison posted a 4-29 record, including a 1-15 record in the MEAC game, and finished 350th out of 353 Division I programs in the KenPom classifications.
Getting a Maker engagement is an important step as Kenny Blakeney, a former Duke player who took over the Bison in 2019, is trying to turn things around at the Washington DC school.
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