He called Pitino to ask a question: “Are you recruiting me because you need bodies or because you think I can really play for you?”, Wood said Pitino gave him what he undoubtedly thought was the right answer. There was one catch: Pitino said he needed an answer in the next nine hours. Howard University is located in Washington, DC and the Basketball program competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) conference. "A lot of people are comfortable with familiarity. Thank you for your interest in Howard University Athletics! A friend in Texas who runs a recruiting service sent him video of Wood. Instead, because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, he got on the phone, asking anyone and everyone he knew to recommend available players. Howard Basketball has a large incoming recruiting class that can vault the Bison into the top half of MEAC Basketball next season. Here you'll get information about the college and information on their Men's Basketball program like who to make contact with about recruiting, names of past alumni, what scholarship opportunities are available and ways to begin the recruiting process. “He has that dream, and I think Kenny will be a terrific coach for him. “I also knew if I wanted to play overseas someday or even have a shot at the NBA, he’d probably be a great coach for me. It would be taking the good with the bad.”. These interviews helps to connect the best and brightest students and alumni of Howard University.Interview Season for fall 2019:September 9-November 14 Plus, he was a great student [with a score of 1340 on the SAT and a 4.4 grade-point average with Advanced Placement classes counted], perfect for Howard academically.”. Maker chose the Bison over UCLA, although Kentucky and Memphis were also on his final list of four schools. Howard went 4-29 last season and will surely improve with their newest addition. was a Howard University faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry in the College of Medicine for more than 50 years. Maker visited Howard last fall during the same month when five-star guard Josh Christopher took an official visit to the school. Looking for a place to practice, Cornerstone Coach Casey Barksdale called Kenny Blakeney, Howard University’s first-year coach, to ask whether his … Maker, the cousin of Detroit Pistons forward Thon Maker, was born in Kenya before moving to Australia. 75 in ESPN's NBA draft rankings. He finally called Pitino at the deadline and said, “Coach, I just can’t make a decision this important this fast.” Pitino replied: “No problem. Welcome to the Howard University Men's Basketball scholarship and program details page. Here you can explore important information about Howard University Basketball. On-campus interviewing is a core component of the operations and mission of the Office of Career Services. Howard University is located in Washington, DC and the Basketball program competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) conference. Makur Maker, five-star center in the high school Class of 2020 has committed to play basketball at historically-Black, Howard University. Normally, Abatemarco would have hit the road immediately to recruit high school seniors who hadn’t signed letters-of-intent. He also entered his name into the NBA draft, but he is likely to withdraw if he's not expected to be a first-round pick. The centerpiece of the group very well may be Wood. “He wants to be a pro someday,” he said. “Plus, I figured wherever I went, most of the guys on my basketball team would be African Americans. “He was perfect for us in every way,” Blakeney said. Five-star high school basketball recruit Makur Maker announced his commitment to Howard University on Friday morning. 1 Virginia. Here you can explore important information about Howard University Basketball. (1:14). Of the 439 five-star recruits to play in Division I since 2003, 8 only 31 went outside of college basketball’s six major conferences. Then it spent it. ❤️💙, A post shared by Makur Maker (@makurmaker1) on Jul 3, 2020 at 12:48am PDT. “He told me when I made that pass, he got really excited,” Wood said from his home in San Antonio. Maker is a 7-foot, 235-pound man out of Phoenix, AZ’s Hillcrest Prep. “He’s at least a mid-major player,” Iona assistant coach Tom Abatemarco said. Let’s talk again in a couple days.”, “About an hour later, I saw on Twitter that another kid who played my position had committed to him.” Wood added. Just for me on the outside looking in, he's part of the fabric. “But there’s no doubt we need an infusion of new talent.”. “My dad lived in Panama for a while, and my mom traveled all over when she was young. Howard Basketball College Basketball to Start Nov. 25 • Regular season cut by four games • No scrimmages/exhibitions all season • No recruiting visits until Jan. 1 Makur Maker is … “He was a ­6-8 stretch four who could play the three spot or even the two. It started with one old friend doing a favor for another. 2020 Chosen 25 Basketball Rankings, basketball recruiting, Howard University, josh christopher, mayfair high school (bellflower CA), Boys Basketball, Chosen 25 609 shares share Mading follows in his footsteps to play for now second-year head basketball coach Kenneth Blakeney — had a 4-29 record during the 2019-20 season. Five-star basketball recruit Makur Maker announced his commitment to Howard University in the early hours of Friday morning, becoming the first top high school prospect to … Here you will get specifics on the school and details on their Women's Basketball program like who to make contact with about recruitment, names of past alumni, what scholarship opportunities are available and ways to start the recruiting process. Ten days later, Wood’s phone rang: Pitino was offering a scholarship. Blakeney’s first season at Howard was a 4-29 nightmare. On April 14, he called Blakeney and told him he was coming to Howard. “I think he has the talent to play anywhere — I mean anywhere. After her time at MSU, she … But over the past couple of months, HBCUs have become more assertive in recruiting top-tier high school talent, especially in the 2021 and 2022 classes. "I need to make the HBCU movement real so that others will follow. Blakeney and his staff went to see Wood play the next day and came back convinced he could be a major part of their rebuilding program. At the time, Blakeney didn’t realize that wasn’t important to Wood. Makur Maker averaged 14.7 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 73% on 2-pointers last spring and summer with Dream Vision on the Adidas grassroots circuit. Top prospect Makur Maker makes history committing to Howard (1:14), Five-star recruit Maker picks Howard over UCLA, Suggs returns for Gonzaga following injury scare, Izzo: No asterisk on first win at Cameron Indoor, Ntambwe leaving Texas Tech for personal reasons, No. As top recruits begin to consider avenues outside the traditional powerhouse programs, the game's landscape could look a lot different in a few years. The Bison were able to land five-star center Makur Maker from Hillcrest Prep (AZ) for their 2020 recruiting class. ... Cooper signed her National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Howard on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period. There have been links between Maker and the G League, but sources have told ESPN he isn't interested in going that route. "On the visit at Howard, that was the main difference. Five-star prospect Makur Maker recently brought Howard's program into the spotlight when he committed to the Bison over professional options and … 19 Richmond pauses activities, cancels game, Iowa's Garza tops initial Wooden Award list, Virginia, Villanova to face off at MSG on Dec. 19, Oklahoma to start season after COVID delay, How Cade Cunningham and one-and-done players affect schools that aren't blue bloods, Support the V Foundation and fight cancer during V Week 2020, Biggest questions for Kentucky, Jalen Suggs' stardom and a Champions Classic preview. “I knew [Pitino] would like him, too, because he could shoot. “He said, ‘Absolutely.’ I said, ‘I may have one for you.’ ”. Right now, Maker is the 17th ranked college basketball prospect. “He’ll play right away for us,” Blakeney said. Howard has not made the NCAA Tournament since 1992 and has not had a winning season since 2001-02. A lot of mid-majors and high mid-majors also recruited him, hoping he might be a late signee. Move on.’ ”. Suggs exits Gonzaga matchup with ankle injury. Let's get it!! Verbal Commits is not affiliated with any university in any way, further all content on Verbal Commits is for news purposes only. So I honestly didn’t think the experience at Howard would be all that different from any other school I might pick. “He was looking for guidance,” Blakeney said, laughing. Barksdale told Blakeney about Jordan Wood, an excellent student who was being pursued by Division I schools after flying under the recruiting radar until he transferred to play his senior season at Cornerstone, which plays a national schedule. Abatemarco was Rick Pitino’s first hire at Iona after he took the job last month. "I was the 1st to announce my visit to Howard & other started to dream 'what if,'" Maker wrote on Twitter. He could really shoot, and he could really pass. “I asked him if he recruited white kids,” Barksdale said with a laugh last week. “My parents spent a lot of time overseas when they were young,” he said. You’re a basketball player; who do you hang out with most? “I wondered if he would actually pull the trigger on coming to an HBCU,” Blakeney said. “Son, I’ve got six other guys blowing up my phone right now who want to come. Howard University celebrates another whopper of an upset — in hoops recruiting One of the nation's top college basketball prospects is headed to a historically Black college… When the team arrived from San Antonio, Blakeney greeted Barksdale. So I sent him the tape.”. “I think that showed that the kids never quit working or trying to get better,” he said. In December, Cornerstone Christian Schools was invited to play in the National Hoopfest at DeMatha. This information is very valuable for all high school student-athletes to understand as they start the recruiting process. “I felt like he had a list and if I said no he’d just cross my name off and go on to the next guy. The next night, the letter-of-intent arrived. I hope I inspire guys like Mikey Williams to join me on this journey. She served as an associate professor of psychiatry as well as the director of the Howard University Institute on Substance Abuse and Addiction. The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. “He had other offers from very good academic schools.”. But he looked past the time when he’ll play the game. Maker, a versatile 6-foot-11 frontcourt player, is ranked No. Howard spent the first three seasons of her college basketball career at Texas A&M before coming to Mississippi State. “That’s when he knew he wanted me to come play for him.”. I am committing to Howard U & coach Kenny Blakeney. I said, ‘You need to come to Howard,’ and I told him why — again.”, Wood was genuinely torn. Rosters - All roster information including but not limited to scholarship numbers, walk-on status, redshirt status, offers, interest levels, and commits are unofficial. At Howard, Blakeney takes over a team coming off a 17-17 season that included a berth in the College Basketball Invitational tournament, its … And I really liked the campus when I toured it, and I really liked Washington. “I liked him right away,” Abatemarco said. He moved to California in 2015. Barksdale said he thinks Wood’s decision was about more than basketball. "If we mess it up, we may not have another opportunity to be able to do it.". "Wherever a five-star lands, we can't mess it up," Blakeney said. Blakeney, who took over at Howard before last season, spoke to ESPN recently about the potential impact of a five-star prospect at an HBCU -- and the importance of the prospect succeeding. Whicker: HBCU programs are looking good to top basketball recruits Howard is one of several historically Black colleges seeing opportunities to compete with traditional college powers The official Men's Basketball page for the Howard University Bison. MORE:Britt seniors on college recruiting radars. “I thought: ‘Okay, fine. Wood called Blakeney about an hour before Pitino’s deadline to ask him what he thought. This information is very valuable for all high school student-athletes to understand as they start the recruiting process. “It’ll work not just because he’s a good player but because he has the absolute right mind-set for this and for Howard,” Blakeney said. There was one potential catch: Howard, known as the Harvard of the historically black colleges and universities, has a white student population of about 2 percent. Blakeney set it up. Five-star recruit Maker picks Howard over UCLA Five-star senior Makur Maker announced his commitment to Howard on Friday morning, becoming the highest-ranked prospect to commit to … Maker is now the highest-ranked college basketball … By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, Discussion of news topics with a point of view, including narratives by individuals regarding their own experiences, the school parted ways with Kevin Nickelberry. Maker is the first five-star prospect to commit to an HBCU since the ESPN recruiting database began, and if selected in the NBA draft, he would be the first such HBCU product since Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State) in 2012. Kids could say, 'I would feel welcome that I'm not just an athlete -- I'm part of a community,'" Ed Smith, Maker's guardian, told ESPN recently. Howard University has scored a recruiting coup.. Prized five-star recruit and Hillcrest Prep (Arizona) center Makur Maker shocked college basketball and recruiting … Thanks for visiting the Howard University Women's Basketball scholarship and program information page. Your teammates. In addition to her impressive campus participation and academic work, Headen has excelled in various internships during her time at Howard, with positions at Howard University Men's Basketball Team and Sports Information Department, Under Armor, the NBA, Growth by Design Talent and an internship with TLS Talent Agency. The NCAA saved money in case of a canceled March Madness. “I can’t wait to work with him.”. So they were used to being in places where they were a minority. The good news is, he wasn’t.”, Georgetown’s Mac McClung, still rehabbing his foot injury, is ready to test NBA draft waters. 16 in the ESPN 100 for 2020. “I knew about the championship being stripped [at Louisville],” he said. And though a handful of players in this year's recruiting class exercised their (lucrative) option of jumping straight to the G League, the 2020-21 men's college basketball season will … Five-star Makur Maker becomes the highest-ranked college basketball prospect to commit to an HBCU by selecting Howard University over UCLA, Kentucky and Memphis. ", Committed Howard U. The Fab Five was a group of five freshmen who decided to commit to the University of Michigan in 1991. One of the top high school basketball recruits in the country made history Friday, announcing he will play for Howard University, a historically Black university. Howard College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, religion, genetic information, veteran’s status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law in its employment policies, procedures, and processes as well as application and admission processes, educational programs and activities, and college facilities. It made a lot of sense to me.”. I’m holding them off until I get an answer from you.”, “Funny thing is that kind of put me off,” Wood said. Jul 3, 2020 Jeff Borzello ESPN Staff Writer Five-star senior Makur Maker announced his commitment to Howard on Friday morning, becoming the highest-ranked college basketball prospect to … All along, I really worried about the HBCU thing. Nine new players are slated to be on campus when classes resume. Further Reading: Five-star college basketball recruit Makur Maker commits to Howard over UCLA (ESPN) He didn’t make a four-year decision; he made a 40-year decision.”, For 42 years, Amherst’s Dave Hixon was one of the best coaches you never heard of, William H. Millsaps leaves behind a rich legacy as a newspaper man’s newspaper man, Looking back at UMBC’s stunning March Madness win over No. Power Rankings and more: Is more college hoops chaos in store for V Week? But perhaps Maker's decision will have a bigger impact on college basketball moving forward. Five-star senior Makur Maker announced his commitment to Howard on Friday morning, becoming the highest-ranked college basketball prospect to commit to a historically Black college or university since the ESPN recruiting database started in 2007. You're not just the athlete or the Black athlete.". “Maybe better than that.”. “I gave it to him. Alyce Chenault Gullattee, M.D. Blakeney found encouragement in the Bison winning two of their last four games, including a victory against South Carolina State in the first round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament. Having been a part of Duke’s back-to-back national championship squads in 1991 and 1992, Howard men’s basketball coach Kenny Blakeney knows all too well about scrutiny. Maker is ranked No. Looking for a place to practice, Cornerstone Coach Casey Barksdale called Kenny Blakeney, Howard University’s first-year coach, to ask whether his team could use Burr Gymnasium the day before the tournament began. As impressed as Blakeney was with Wood’s shooting, a whipped left-handed pass put him over the top. Christopher ultimately committed to Arizona State. Ivy League schools Cornell and Columbia offered Wood scholarships during the season. I knew Coach Kenny really wanted me.”, Still, he was torn. A number of the team’s top players transferred when the school parted ways with Kevin Nickelberry last spring.