I’m just saying…NOBODY said it could be done, Fam…
There hasn’t been a LEGIT 5-Star, bluechip recruit to commit to an HBCU out of high school or the prep ranks in…well…dayumn…I can’t remember one ever offering their John Hancock to an HBCU program. Have there been talented transfers to the HBCU ranks after NOT getting burn at a P5? Yes. There are even a couple of players that have called the DMV home for a period of time. Former Tennessee Volunteer and Hampton, Va. native Duke Crews landed at Bowie State after getting some heat out there in Nashville.
Local product and former JuCo and University of New Mexico player Jordan Goodman also ended up at the PG County school after a long, winding road to get there. James Daniel III and RJ Cole have dropped in on HU’s campus for a hot second to ply their trade before rolling out on the transfer market, too. Nigel Munson (Yeah, DeMatha’s Nigel Munson) ended up back at home after a season in Blacksburg that looked to be a glimpse into bigger things. We see transfers sprinkled here and there that lowkey see the opportunity that HBCU hoops present AFTER the fact. We’ve NEVER SEEN a bluechip prospect go from start to finish in the recruiting process and end up not going for the shiny facilities and prestige that come with matriculating at a Power 5 Hoops program.
Until now, that is…
Coach Kenny Blakeney may have pulled off the heist of the century by landing 5-star center Makur Maker.
Yeah slim, THAT Makur Maker. Thon Maker’s little cousin.
It’s arguably the most heralded recruit that has EVER landed at that school on the hill overlooking Georgia Avenue. Heck, he’s the biggest recruit EVER to land in an HBCU conference…PERIOD. HU head coach Kenny Blakeney and his staff have a bit of P5 pedigree to lean on, but nobody expected THIS staff to land THIS kid, even though there looked to be legit interest early in Maker’s recruiting process for the school. According to Makur himself, the Bison were always in the mix:
Did the current social climate outside of the game have something to do with this paradigm shift? That’s a logical assumption to make. It’s also logical to make the leap that the College basketball landscape is gradually changing. Kids are becoming more aware, and they’re grasping the idea that you don’t HAVE to get run at the closest power 5 programs to be seen, or be showcased. This is ESPECIALLY true for the High School and prep hoops scene here in the DMV. I’m talking about the 3-star kid from DeMatha or Paul VI that’s looking at a P5, but would AUTOMATICALLY get a ton of playing time if they considered a Howard, a Norfolk State, a Morgan State, or Coppin State. The same goes for the County or DCIAA kids that don’t GET those offers but have the chops to play just about anywhere.
I hope the success of recruiting Maker also has the effect of changing the way area HBCU’s like Howard recruit city and DMV talent because there’s enough here for a mid-major like the Bison to not only flourish but to become ELITE.
Welcome to DC, Mr. Maker…Go-Go music and the Legacy of a Howard Education will serve you well, son.
#ThisGroundIsHallowed
#HHG