Would You Want Your Son Who Is Great At Basketball To Go To Howard or Kentucky?
If you weren't able to read Reags' blog and haven't already seen this on twitter, Makur Maker, the #16 player in the 2020 class, committed to Howard over Kentucky.
Most people were applauding Maker's decision to be a trailblazer including Wallo and Tony The Closer but Gillie didn't seem to think it was in Makur Maker's best interest. Gillie said if it was his son, he would talk him out of it.
Gillie seems to think that the trailblazer is the sacrificial lamb and this will hurt Makers career in the long run. He thinks the exposure he'll get from playing at Howard is far less than he would get from a going to a blueblood school. He thinks that lack of exposure will ultimately bite him in the ass later.
He even made a bet with Wallo and Tony that he won't go top ten in the draft. Luckily for Gillie Makur Maker is projected to go in the second round in most 2021 mock drafts.
I really don't think Gillie's exposure argument is the best. Maker's name is now recognized by non-basketball fans. People who don't give a fuck about basketball know Makur Makers name because he said "Fuck going to a power five. Fuck Kentucky. Fuck UCLA. I'm going to start a trend".
Also Howard should easily win the MEAC now, right? So the exposure he may lose in the regular season he would gain back during March Madness. Whenever someone would mention Howard, they will talk about Maker and his decision to go there.
Even before Maker's decision ACC schools wanted to start playing HBCU teams on MLK day every year.
Notre Dame is going to play in DC in 2021 and ESPN will be there. Makur Maker will get his exposure that night!
But just for the sake of argument and because I want to give Gillie's argument a fair shake, let's look at the tale of the tape between Kentucky and Howard.
Coach Cal has helped 38 kids get drafted by the NBA in his 10 years at Kentucky. Three number one selections, 29 first-rounders, 21 lottery picks. The 38 draft picks are 14 more than the next closest school (Duke).
There have been 5 players drafted out of Howard University in the history of the school. The last time a player was drafted out of Howard was in 1983.
If you look at those numbers it looks like Gillie has a point….
On the flip side, Ja Morant just got drafted #2 from Murray State last year. CJ McCollum was a lottery pick out of Lehigh. Damian Lillard went to Weber State. Steph Curry went to Davidson. Paul George went to Fresno State. Paul Millsap went to Louisiana Tech. George Hill was a first round draft pick out of fucking Mantis' Alma Mater IUPUI. If you're league bound, you're league bound regardless of what school you go to. Like if you're talented, you will get noticed and you will get drafted.
I hope Maker balls the fuck out at Howard, becomes a lottery pick, proves Gillie wrong and this HBCU movement turns into a trend. I don't see how anyone could root against this kid.
Watch this week's Million Dollaz Worth Of Game.