Top Basketball Recruit Makur Maker Picks HBCU Over Major Programs
By Michael Luciano
The movement to get top high school recruits to attend historically black colleges and universities finally has started to gain momentum now that 5-star recruit Makur Maker has decided to forgo the traditional major power route in favor of an up-and-coming HBCU.
Maker chose to spurn all the major powers in favor of Howard University, one of the largest HBCU schools in the country.
Five-star senior Makur Maker announced his commitment to Howard on Friday morning.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 3, 2020
Maker is the highest-ranked prospect to commit to a historically Black college or university since the ESPN recruiting database started in 2007. https://t.co/fA90tQxZQR
Maker, the cousin of Detroit Pistons big man Thon Maker, had major players like UCLA and Kentucky chasing him, but he opted for the Bison instead. He's bounced around between four different high schools in his basketball journey.
Howard was brutal last season, as they won just two of their 22 games in 2019-20. Kenny Blakeney, a Columbia assistant, will take charge in DC next season, and he clearly made a huge impact on Maker.
Top-20 recruit Makur Maker commits to Howard University. https://t.co/vVbLTpZiCQ pic.twitter.com/5lk9CCkNcS
— theScore (@theScore) July 3, 2020
Maker could have gone to a blue blood program or straight to the pros, but he chose to commit to an HBCU. If more stars like Mikey Williams follow in his footsteps, HBCUs could finally be a major player on the recruiting landscape.