Makur Maker became the highest ranked basketball recruit to sign with an HBCU since 2007
As the 4th of July marked a celebratory day of respite from the monotony we've grown accustomed to during the Covid-19 pandemic, the world of men's College Basketball was watching the fallout from the fireworks that Makur Maker set off on the eve of the national holiday.
On July 3, Maker, the nation's 18th ranked recruiting prospect (Rivals.com) verbally committed to the HBCU (historically black colleges and universities) Howard University in Washington, D.C.—instead of a traditional basketball powerhouse such as UCLA or Kentucky. Maker will be the highest ranked basketball recruit, and only five star recruit, to sign on with an HBCU since the recruiting database was created by ESPN in 2007.
While Maker isn't the only top recruit in recent time to discuss playing for an HBCU, he is the only one that has actually gone as far as to commit to one. Trace Young was a three star recruit coming out of high school and played for Wyoming University his freshman year. Young decided to transfer to an HBCU, and in May announced he would be transferring to Alabama State University, one of six HBCU's he narrowed his choices down to.
Traditionally, since the inception of the one and done rule in 2006, we have seen top high school recruits attend power conference programs led by high profile coaches that are more synonymous with their schools' identity than any of its players. Since players are required to be 19 years old and a year removed from their high school graduation date in order to be draft eligible for the NBA, American high school prospects have typically taken the route of playing for the colleges that offered high visibility and exposure to improve their draft stock.
This process has kept schools like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State flush with the nation's top talent for decades as they have the bravado of being home to coaching icons with NBA connections the likes of Mike Kryzyewski, Roy Williams, Bill Self, Tom Izzo, and the notorious John Calipari. Calipari was one of the pioneers in one and done recruiting as he learned to leverage it as a recruiting tactic by selling Kentucky as a one year boot camp to prepare top prospects for the NBA. While Calipari didn't earn a lot of friends or supporters from this approach, it would be one that every major program would have to learn to adopt in order to continue landing top recruits.
John Calipari
Maker's choice to commit to an HBCU shows yet another path for top basketball recruits to take now to circumvent the still standing one and done rule. By expanding the developmental G-League to allow for high school seniors to choose to play and get paid upon graduating, shows an understanding that some of these athletes are ready to compete at the NBA level and that playing for a college for one season isn't in their best interest. Other players have gone overseas to play professionally where they can earn more than what they would make in the G-League and also get to play against an increasingly talented number of leagues across the world before getting to the NBA.
As long as the one and done rule stays in place, or some iteration of it, the best basketball recruits will still play somewhere and I still believe that will largely be at the collegiate level for many of the same programs we've grown accustomed to seeing in March. But if Maker becomes the first in a new line of top recruits wanting to represent HBCUs, it could open up a new wave of power programs in the college sports landscape.
One of the great things about the coverage that college sports brings to colleges and universities is learning about their history and some of the great things that the school and its alumni have accomplished. There are great stories to be told from all of these institutions and it would be even better if more schools were able to be highlighted. Unfortunately, sports provide the biggest platform for that level of exposure and HBCUs have not been able to recruit top players because their programs have been able to compete and the exposure would be too small.
But if Maker's decision can affect someone like Mikey Williams who is the top recruit in the 2023 high school class to attend an HBCU, then we can start to talk about the logistics of increasing Burr Gymnasium's seating capacity by 15,000 seats overnight.
Mikey Williams Is The GOAT 9th Grader!! OFFICIAL FRESHMAN YEAR MIXTAPE!www.youtube.com
It would be great to get more representation from historically black colleges and universities in this country. As we talk more about social injustices and the need to fix certain things societally, college campuses across the country have always been a breeding ground for progressive thought and enacting change. In a time where racial injustice has been trending worldwide it seems as though student athletes have begun to understand that they hold more power than what they've been led to believe all these years, and that they can enact the changes they want to see with their actions.
The NBA has been one of the more progressive leagues in American sports in terms of looking outside of the U.S. borders for its talent. By embracing the global market the NBA has gained fans and viewers overseas, and has resulted in talent from all over the world being represented on NBA rosters today. The aforementioned expansion of the NBA run G-League shows that they're open to players taking alternative routes to get to the NBA level. HBCUs represent the same path to the professional level as Kentucky or Duke but the difference for black high school athletes is what it could mean for them to represent a school that celebrates black culture and that the opportunity to be stewards of a new era that can see HBCUs continue to grow in size and influence. Let's face it, if Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish had committed to Morehouse rather than Duke, we all would've tuned in just the same to witness the spectacle.
Only time will tell if more black athletes will choose HBCUs to play out their collegiate careers before heading to the pro ranks. But as the nation continues the conversation surrounding systemic racism, this opportunity for high profile athletes to shed light on black culture serves as an interesting mechanism to add to the Black Lives Matter Movement by mobilizing and empowering new voices to be heard from the generation that will be tasked with changing the narrative of a nation.
- NBA's loss could be UCLA's gain if Makur Maker picks college - Los ... ›
- Makur Maker - Wikipedia ›
- Makur Maker (@MakurMaker) | Twitter ›
- Five-star college basketball recruit Makur Maker commits to Howard ... ›
- Makur Maker, 2020 Center - Rivals.com ›
- Makur Maker - Basketball Recruiting - Player Profiles - ESPN ›
- Makur Maker, Hillcrest Prep, Center (BK) ›
With Football and March Madness in our rear-view window, you must think that there is nothing good to bet on these days. However, there’s so much going on right now that even we are having a hard time keeping up!
So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on to help you out.
First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:
- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
- UFC
- and the PGA Tour
With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, they are offering new users their No Sweat $1,000 promotion. This means you will get up to $1,000 back in Bonus Bets if you lose your first bet!
Here’s what’s heatin’ up:
Basketball: NBA Player Combos
A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.
Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!
Hockey: Total Shots On Goal
A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.
Soccer: Total Shots
Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.
Golf: Over/Under Birdies
A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!
Baseball: NRFI
Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".
With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.
Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!
Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.
Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.
So March Madness is over, and either you won big or died trying. Whatever the case may be, now that the hoopla of the tournament is behind us, you may be thinking that there’s nothing exciting to bet on before the ramp-up to the NBA Playoffs. However, there’s so much more going on post-March Madness than you might realize.
So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on now that the winning team has been crowned.
First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:
- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
- UFC
- and the PGA Tour
With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, when new users bet $5, they get $150 in Bonus Bets, win or lose!
It’s post-March Madness- Here’s what’s heatin’ up:
Basketball: NBA Player Combos
A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.
Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!
Hockey: Total Shots On Goal
A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.
Soccer: Total Shots
Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.
Golf: Over/Under Birdies
A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!
Baseball: NRFI
Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".
With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.
Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!
Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.
Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.
So March Madness is over, and either you won big or died trying. Whatever the case may be, now that the hoopla of the tournament is behind us, you may be thinking that there’s nothing exciting to bet on before the ramp-up to the NBA Playoffs. However, there’s so much more going on post-March Madness than you might realize.
So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on now that the winning team has been crowned.
First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:
- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
- UFC
- and the PGA Tour
With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, when new users bet $5, they get $150 in Bonus Bets, win or lose!
It’s post-March Madness- Here’s what’s heatin’ up:
Basketball: NBA Player Combos
A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.
Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!
Hockey: Total Shots On Goal
A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.
Soccer: Total Shots
Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.
Golf: Over/Under Birdies
A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!
Baseball: NRFI
Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".
With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.
Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!
Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.
Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.