Makur Maker Rumors: Kentucky, UCLA Favored to Land 5-Star If He Opts for CBB
May 10, 2020
Makur Maker entered his name into the 2020 NBA draft April 29, but he could still play basketball as a college freshman next season instead.
"Kentucky and UCLA are the favorites to land 5-star prospect Makur Maker if he doesn't stay in the 2020 NBA Draft and opts for college basketball next season," CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein reported Sunday. "Also considering Memphis, Auburn, and Oregon. Maker is unlikely to play in the G League next season."
Maker qualified for the NBA draft straight out of high school because he is 19 years old.
According to 247Sports, the 6'11", 235-pound center is the top-ranked 2020 prospect in Arizona, third-best center and 16th-best nationally overall. Maker transferred from Pacific Academy in Irvine, California, to Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix last December.
Hillcrest is Maker's fifth high school (h/t the Arizona Republic's Richard Obert).
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who originally reported April 25 that Maker would enter the NBA draft after the league granted his eligibility, outlined his complicated journey to this point:
"Maker, the No. 75 prospect in the ESPN top 100, has taken a circuitous route to the NBA 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."
Per 247Sports, Maker has received offers from UCLA, Alabama, Howard, Oregon and USC. The site's Crystal Ball Predictions still predicts a 100 percent chance of Maker going pro.
Kentucky sports the top-ranked 2020 class in the nation with commitments from the likes of 5-star guard BJ Boston and 5-star guard Terrence Clarke, while UCLA's 2020 class ranks just 106th nationally as 4-star guard Jaylen Clark has only signed a letter of intent.
The 2020 NBA draft is scheduled for June 25.