NBPA Top 100 Notebook: Watch Out for Matur Maker, Thon's Little Brother

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — This week, the basketball world will finally get to see where Thon Maker ends up in the 2016 NBA draft.

Jumping from high school to the NBA thanks to a loophole Maker's guardian, Ed Smith, discovered, Maker has been referred to as this draft's mystery man thanks to his relatively untested background. People are especially curious about him because of the excessive hype generated by high school mixtapes that had some comparing him (incorrectly) to players like Kevin Durant.

But Thon isn't the only Maker brother going through dramatic life changes.

The last few weeks have also meant a fresh start for Thon's younger brother, Matur Maker, a class of 2017 prospect who is trying to find his own way in basketball now that Thon is moving on to the professional ranks.

Regarded as the No. 132-ranked overall prospect in the 247Sports composite, Matur is no slouch when it comes to his basketball abilities, as he showed at the 2016 NBPA Top 100 Camp, but he's always been viewed mostly as Thon's younger brother.

With Thon also vying for the No. 1 spot in his class for much of his high school career, it's been tough for Matur to compare to his older brother since he doesn't generate nearly the same fanfare from media and fans.

For the past three years, Matur has been a high school and Amateur Athletic Union teammate of Thon's.

Now, with a chance to be his own player, Matur is relishing the opportunity to have a year to develop outside of his brother's shadow.

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"It's been tough. I was always the guy who does the dirty work. I was 'Thon's little brother,'" Matur said. "But now, I'm mature. It's a little different now, but I've played on a few teams here and there and it's been pretty good."

With Thon preparing for the draft process by flying all over the country for workouts, it's been tough for the brothers to regularly stay in touch. It also complicates matters that Matur chooses not to have a cell phone or any kind of social media platforms so that he can stay focused on basketball and books.

Thon had a chance to see his brother a week ago during a stop in Detroit, but Matur has mostly been tracking his brother's career from afar.

"It's pretty exciting. It's exciting seeing him at that level. It motivates me too," Matur said.

Having played with his brother in camps and on grassroots teams in the last three years, Matur has learned a lot from watching Thon on the biggest stages. The NBPA Top 100 Camp was the third time that Matur had participated in the prestigious event, and it was the first time he participated without his brother there with him.

"I mean, it's not going to be weird because I took so much from him," Matur said of playing without Thon. "A lot of different stuff off the court and on the court as well. So I kind of took a lot. Like his intensity on defense. Offensively, also. I took so much from him. For him leaving, it's great for me. It's going to be a little bit different, but I can adjust."

Matur had himself a solid weekend in Charlottesville, as he was third in the event in rebounds per game and also showed good scoring touch around the basket. Although not as gifted on the perimeter as Thon, the 6'10" Matur does have solid shooting touch and hit 86.4 percent from the free-throw line during camp play.

So now that Matur is on his own, it's only right to question what his next step in basketball will be. For the immediate future, Matur plans on staying at Athlete Institute in Canada, where he has played the last two seasons.

Matur acknowledged that those plans could change if Thon is selected by an NBA franchise and it is decided by Maker and guardian Ed Smith that Matur will play his final year of high school closer to his brother.

There's also the matter of whether Matur will try to go pro straight out of high school like Thon or if he will try to go to college to play basketball.

"I mean, I haven't thought about that yet. I want to play somewhere professionally. But I haven't decided whether or not I'm going to college yet," Matur said.

"I could see some possibilities, but I haven't really thought out what I'm going to do yet."

Matur mentioned that Arizona State, Kansas and Indiana have been the three schools involved the most in his recruiting. Recruiting will have to wait, however, as Matur is going to be the excited little brother watching Thon pursue dreams of earning an NBA paycheck.

Matur isn't sure if he'll attend the NBA draft to support his brother, but he's already on a mission to improve his personal game and make a name for himself during the summer.

"It's been a change. It's been a grind. I took my time getting my body right and stuff like that. I'm still in the gym constantly. I'm in the weight room trying to get better. I always look at it like I would look at last year and be like, 'Oh, that was last year, now I'm better.' Now I'm on the up-and-up."

Jet Lag Isn't Slowing Down Jaylen Hands

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The NBPA Top 100 Camp was a unique experience for a handful of players who were coming straight to Charlottesville after participating in the Adidas Eurocamp in Italy the previous weekend.

The most highly touted prospect of the group, UCLA class of 2017 commit Jaylen Hands, went straight from Treviso to Virginia and tried to adjust to time changes and different styles of play.

The No. 25-ranked overall prospect and No. 3-ranked point guard in his class, Hands said that the trip was necessary for his basketball future.

"That's what I tell myself: If my goal is to be a pro and play in college, then I have to get used to this," Hands said. "I just try to push through it. It's been a really good example for me. It's been the biggest challenge I've had on the AAU circuit."

Leading the U.S. Select Team in scoring at the Eurocamp, the 6'0" Hands was one of the few American players there who did a nice job adjusting to playing older and more physical competition. After an eight-hour flight and a six-hour time difference, Hands is pleased with how he played in the camp.

"Well, obviously, looking at me I'm not the most physically gifted, so playing against people that are is only going to make me better because it helps me figure out what I can and can't do," Hands said. "Besides that, it showed me that I can compete with anyone regardless of size. It just gave me more of a grit and more of a hunger to get better."

Zion Williamson Breaks Out

The undisputed breakout player of the 2016 NBPA Top 100 Camp was South Carolina native Zion Williamson.

The 6'6" forward is currently the No. 14-ranked prospect in the class of 2018, but with that class not looking as strong as those of years past, he could be moving up after his MVP performance in Charlottesville.

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Since he's on the heavier side for a forward at 225 pounds while also being a tad undersized, Williamson said he has already been compared to Draymond Green and Larry Johnson, as he's an explosive athlete who can make plays all over the floor.

During the camp, Williamson led the event in scoring while shooting 69.3 percent from the field. Also a force on the glass, Williamson could be making a push up the national rankings.  

"I try to be the most versatile player on the court. If that means being a 4 and posting up, I’ll do that. If it means playing on the wing, I can do that too," Williamson said.

If Williamson is able to show college coaches that his perimeter jumper is improving, every program in the nation could be showing interest by the time July is finished.

Recruiting ratings and rankings via 247Sports.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and information were obtained firsthand.