Thon Maker: Is He The Next BIG Thing?
By Steve Lee
If you Google Thon Maker, there are about 453,000 results. If you look him up on Google Video, there are over two million clips (YouTube has 70,000). Despite him being 7’0″, 210lbs, the “Legend of Thon” is bigger than the manchild himself.
Not every 16-year-old kid has the privilege of having the world check out videos of their basketball talents, stating that they have seen the future!
The other day an acquaintance of mine texted me and was excited to inform me that his alma mater Arizona was looking at a Canadian kid from Ontario. As much as I wanted to acknowledge that the talent was a pure bred Maple Leaf, I had to inform him that he was not one of ours, but rather a Sudanese/Australian who moved to the United States (Louisiana to be specific).
While the Internet is full of videos of young players (from damned near embryo through unheralded high school senior) trying to make a name for themselves, either in high school, AAU or on the playground, the fact is that some of these players have a legitimate chance of becoming something special.
So is there a reason to get so excited about Maker? Some say yes.
Not many players have the honor of having nearly every major university program at their choosing. As of mid-September, Arizona, Duke, Florida, Georgetown, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Missouri, SMU, Stanford, Texas, UNLV and Virginia have all presented Maker with an offer to attend their school for at least one season come 2016.
So where would a kid of this level take his talents? Huntington Prep? Findlay Prep? Orlando Christian Prep? Prime Prep? How about the Athlete Institute in Orangeville, Ontario. Again, why is this a big deal.
How many of the top ranked players throughout ALL of North America make a decision to attend to attend school in Canada when they most likely have any pick of the crop in the United States? Andrew Wiggins left the great white north. Anthony Bennett also headed south.
A year ago I asked folks what would have happened if Wiggins had either stayed in Canada as a high school player, or if he had chosen to play at Carlton University (the top hoops program north of the border) instead of playing at Kansas. Would his NBA stock been as high? Would he be as popular and have the following that he did during his time under the scrutiny as a Jayhawk?
Many responses came back in the form of a chuckle. While Thon Maker will not play his post-secondary career in Canada, he will help continue to put the country on the basketball map alongside other elite Canadian talent such as Jamal Murray, Kyle Alexander and Jalen Poyser, who all attend AI.
By playing his junior and possibly his senior season in Ontario, the media attention will certainly help with awareness of the Canadian game.
Averaging 21 points, 13 rebounds and four swats in his sophomore year at Carlisle High School in Martinsville, Va., Maker still has a way to go in terms of skill set and physical growth.
As of now, Maker is tabbed to be on top of the class of 2016, however should he decide to reclassify for 2015, Maker could very well battle peer forwards Ben Simmons (LSU bound), Cheick Diallo and Henry Ellenson for the top player in the paint.
It has been said that Maker may possibly look into applying for a Canadian citizenship, which would not only make him eligible to participate on the Canadian National team down the road, but just as importantly, it would give Canada another potential high draft pick, should everything pan out as predicted for the big man.
Last season Joel Embiid surprised everyone, both on the collegiate level and pro scouts with his abilities. Easy comparisons can be made between the youngster and the Philadelphia 76ers draft pick in that they both move very quickly in a number of ways.
Whether it be in transition or lateral movement, Maker’s footwork is impressive for a man … err … boy his size. Defensively, Maker changes games by blocking or altering shots and cleaning the glass.
On the offensive side of the court, there is still plenty of room for improvement on pretty much everything outside of a dunk, but the pieces are in place for Maker to show the same type of skill set that the former Jayhawk displayed last season.
If Thon Maker can live up to the heavy expectations and predictions that have been placed upon him at an early age, similar to that of the 2014 first overall draft pick or of any phenoms that have come before him, then the limitations will be much higher than his 7-foot frame.