On Thursday, the NBA ruled that Australian forward Thon Maker would be eligible for the 2016 NBA draft. Maker declared for the draft several weeks ago but was awaiting ruling by the NBA on his eligibility.
Since the news broke, many people are pretty confused about his eligibility.
If he didn’t play college ball he can’t play professionally, right?
Well, that’s actually a common misconception. Many people believe that the “one-and-done” rule simply implies attending a year of college before being eligible for the draft. In reality, there are only two requirements a player must fulfill in order to be eligible for the draft. One, you have to be 19 years old on draft night (or turn 19 during that calendar year), and two, your high school class has to be one full year removed from graduation.
Maker turned 19 in February of this year, so you can check off the age requirement. He attended high school in Virginia, but ended up transferring to Canada’s Athlete Institute in 2015. He graduated in spring of last year, despite staying at the Institute for a fifth year of high school as a “post-graduate” student. It’s a pretty complex situation, but since he officially graduated a year ago, he definitely qualifies for the draft.
This decision could potentially open doors for players in the future and even change the game of basketball forever. More players may choose Maker’s path, especially if he proves that he didn’t need exposure at college level. Sounds like good news for players eager to play professionally, but will the next generation of players even have the opportunity to pull a “Maker”? His situation has sparked conversations on closing the loophole that got him in. There have also been talks of raising the age limit of those who can enter the draft, almost forcing players to enter college if they want exposure. Maker’s success could ultimately make or break the future plans of players wanting to enter the draft after high school. If he does well, more high school players will be considered, and if he doesn’t, he may be the last one they give a chance too.
Maker doesn’t seem to be worried at all. He has hired an agent, which effectively ends his college eligibility. Without college to hone his skills, he’ll have to do a lot of work to do on his own, but he’s prepared. Maker will begin prepping for the NBA draft combine in mid-May. He’ll be working with famed trainer Drew Hanlen in South Carolina, and will do his strength training at P3 in California. Sounds like a lot, but considering the fact that many teams haven’t had a chance to scout him, it may not be enough.
There’s growing skepticism among scouts about how good he really is. Maker’s interesting physical profile will at least get him looked at. He’s 7’1” with a standing reach of 9’3”, so it’s pretty hard to miss him. But his lack of training definitely makes him a major work in progress, so much so that some have already counted him out. Some scouts have him ranked as a late lottery pick, but for others, he ranked as low as the second round. Right now, he ranks number twenty on ESPN’s Big Board, but that could change as more people enter the draft. It’s safe to say that things are up in the air at the moment, and honestly, it may be too soon to tell what the future holds. One thing is for certain, we’ll all be watching to see what happens.
South Georgia/April 2016/Web Only
Thon Maker’s Eligibility for the NBA Draft Confirmed
By Njeri Mathis
Photos courtesy of usatodayhss.com
