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HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: JULY 19 adidas Gauntlet Finale

Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty

The landscape and attitude towards athletics at HBCUs are finally starting to change.

And the latest player to help usher in that shift is the cousin of Detriot Pistons forward Thon Maker, Makur Maker.

The Kenyan-Australian basketball player is a 5 star player out of California’s Chaminade College Preparatory and has decided to call Howard University home, which makes him the highest recruit to ever go the HBCU route. Maker is aware of the weighty decision he has made but says it was needed to create the way for others after him.

“I was the 1st to announce my visit to Howard & other started to dream “what if”. I need to make the HBCU movement real so that others will follow,” he explained on Twitter. “I hope I inspire guys like Mikey Williams to join me on this journey. I am committing to Howard U & coach Kenny Blakeney.”

Maker was heavily recruited with offers from the UCLA Bruins, Kentucky Wildcats, and the Memphis Tigers before choosing to proudly become a Bison.

Maker, similar to his cousin, is a versatile 6-foot-11 frontcourt player and is no joke, especially after being ranked 16 in the ESPN 100 for 2020. He also submitted his name to the NBA draft but will likely withdraw if he’s unlikely to go in the first round.

Mikey Williams, who Maker mentioned, isn’t bound for college yet, but he’s been eyeing HBCUs as well. The 15-year-old phenom recently admitted that he’s down to seriously consider attending an HBCU, and within hours he received offers from Tennessee State, Texas Southern, and Norfolk State. Plus, to shed even more light, Chris Paul recently signed on to create a docu-series about the struggles that those colleges and universities face when it comes to getting top recruits to come join their teams.

Head Coach Kenny Blakeney, Maker’s new coach, understands just how big this moment is and what’s on the line.

“Wherever a five-star lands, we can’t mess it up,” Blakeney told ESPN. “If we mess it up, we may not have another opportunity to be able to do it.”