Matur Maker

Matur Maker
No. 23 – Union Neuchâtel Basket
Position Power forward
League Swiss Basketball League
Personal information
Born (1998-01-01) 1 January 1998
Sudan (now South Sudan)
Nationality Australian / South Sudanese
Listed height 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight 200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school
Playing career 2018–present
Career history
2018–present Union Neuchâtel Basket
Career highlights and awards

Matur Maker (born 1 January 1998) is a South Sudanese-born Australian basketball player for Union Neuchâtel Basket of the Swiss Basketball League. He played prep basketball at Mississauga Prep in Mississauga, Ontario. A native of South Sudan, he moved to Australia in his childhood and has played for various schools in Canada and the United States at the amateur level, including Carlisle School, Orangeville Prep, and Prolific Prep North. Maker has been ranked among the top power forwards in his class and originally declared for the 2018 NBA draft before dropping his name out of it on 11 June. He is the younger brother of Thon Maker of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Early life

Maker was born in what is now known as South Sudan on 1 January 1998, with an older brother Thon Maker.[1][2] In Matur's early childhood, his uncle, a local administrator, helped the family flee to Uganda amid a civil war in their home country.[3] They then settled in Perth, Western Australia as refugees but continued making occasional visits to South Sudan.[4][5] At age 13, Thon was discovered by basketball scout Edward Smith and began living with him in Sydney, before moving to the United States.[6][4] After his parents were satisfied by the decision, Matur was allowed to join his brother in high school, and Smith eventually became their legal guardian.[4]

High school career

Maker began playing high school basketball as a freshman at Carlisle School in Martinsville, Virginia, where he joined Thon, a sophomore, in the middle of the season.[7][8] In addition, his guardian Edward Smith, who the brothers lived with in a two-story house, was an assistant coach for the team at the time.[7][9] According to Smith, Matur's arrival at Carlisle helped Thon better acclimate to the United States.[7] In his freshman season, Matur was considered one of the best high school players in the country at the small forward position.[10] He helped Carlisle win a state championship and played with Team Loaded VA of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).[11]

Maker played for Orangeville Prep in Orangeville, Ontario (pictured) in his second year of high school.

For his sophomore year, it was announced that Maker would transfer from Carlisle, with Hopewell Academy in Cary, North Carolina and Orangeville Prep in Orangeville, Ontario as potential destinations.[10] In September 2014, Maker and his brother enrolled at Orangeville Prep, where they played under head coach Larry Blunt and with fellow top prospect Jamal Murray.[11] He was named Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA) second-team all-star.[12]

In 2016–17, Maker moved to Prolific Prep North in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where he was coached by his guardian Edward Smith and became teammates with cousin Makur Makur.[13] With the Milwaukee Bucks having selected Thon at the 2016 NBA draft, the transfer allowed Matur to live closer to his brother.[12] In April 2017, Maker competed in the BioSteel All-Canadian Game in Toronto, where he was named most valuable player.[14] In the game, he recorded 25 points and six rebounds, shooting 8-of-11 from the field, playing only 12 minutes.[15] At an adidas Nations event in August, he averaged 26 points and seven rebounds for the Asia Pacific team.[16]

Maker chose to play a postgraduate season of basketball at Mississauga Prep in Mississauga, Ontario for 2017–18.[16] By 2018, he was averaging 25.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.7 steals.[17] On 5 January 2018, Maker declared intentions to bypass college and enter the 2018 NBA draft, attempting to follow a similar path as his brother in 2016.[16][18] He drew attention from scouts on 11 January, when he notched 45 points, 20 rebounds, two blocks, and three steals in a 95–85 defeat to GTA Prep.[17] However, due to a lack of attention on his name during the 2018 NBA Draft process, he withdrew his name from the 2018 NBA draft on the 11 June international deadline.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Matur Maker
PF		 Orangeville (ON) Mississauga Prep (ON) 6 ft 9.7 in (2.08 m) 193.3 lb (87.7 kg) — 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 80
Overall recruiting rankings:   247Sports: 155, 39 (PF)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 18 February 2018.

    Professional career

    Union Neuchâtel Basket (2018–present)

    On 7 August 2018, Maker signed with Union Neuchâtel Basket of the Swiss Basketball League.[19]

    References

    1. ↑ Campbell, Morgan (11 January 2018). "Matur Maker hopes to follow brother Thon straight to the NBA". Toronto Star. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
    2. ↑ "Matur Maker". NBADraft.net. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
    3. ↑ Uluc, Olgun (8 August 2017). "NBA scouts impressed by Matur Maker, the younger brother of Milwaukee Bucks big man Thon Maker". The West Australian. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
    4. 1 2 3 Bozich, Alex (21 May 2014). ""Best basketball ahead" for 2017's Matur Maker". InsideTheHall.com. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
    5. ↑ Sygall, David (11 August 2013). "Refugees escaping war are aiming for the stars". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
    6. ↑ Croy, Liam (23 June 2016). "Mirrabooka schoolboy Thon Maker to play in the NBA". The West Australian. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
    7. 1 2 3 Halley, Jim (27 April 2015). "Jordan Classic: Matur Maker a big part of brother Thon's possible reclassifcation decision". USATodayHSS.com. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
    8. ↑ Daniels, Evan (5 January 2018). "Matur Maker, Thon's brother, will bypass college to go pro". 247Sports.com. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
    9. ↑ Mannix, Chris (14 April 2014). "Maker's Lark". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
    10. 1 2 Gretschel, Johanna (3 September 2014). "Former local player, top national prospect Thon Maker to transfer". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
    11. 1 2 Wolstat, Ryan (4 September 2014). "World's top basketball prospect Canada-bound". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
    12. 1 2 Ebner, David (2 September 2016). "Choosing Canada: The rapidly changing landscape of elite teenage basketball". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
    13. ↑ "Thon Maker's 6-11 cousin joins Prolific Prep North in Canada". USATodayHSS.com. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
    14. ↑ Kent, Austin (11 April 2017). "2017 BioSteel All Canadian Basketball Game Top Performers". Slam. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
    15. ↑ "Matur Maker Game Logs". RealGM. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
    16. 1 2 3 Borzello, Jeff (5 January 2018). "Matur Maker to skip college, enter NBA draft". ESPN. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
    17. 1 2 Zagoria, Adam (5 January 2018). "Matur Maker hoping to follow older brother Thon Maker's prep-to-pros route to the NBA". ZagsBlog.com. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
    18. ↑ Nathan, Alec (5 January 2018). "Thon Maker's Brother Matur to Skip College, Apply for 2018 NBA Draft". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
    19. ↑ "Matur Maker signs with Union Neuchatel". Sportando. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
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