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Kenny Blakeney’s Breakthrough Recruit Makur Maker Declares For The NBA Draft

He only saw action in two games this year

By JD King
SLAM Summer Classic 2019
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 18: Makur Maker #21 of Team Jimma looks on against Team Zion during the SLAM Summer Classic 2019 at Dyckman Park on August 18, 2019 in New York City.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

It doesn’t take away from what Baylor and Gonzaga accomplished this year, and a lot of other teams overcame a lot, but what we’ve said many times about the 2020-21 basketball season is still true: everyone, with the possible exceptions of Dave Leitao and Dino Gaudio, should get a pass due to Covid.

That certainly includes former Duke guard Kenny Blakeney, who is now coach at Howard and who lost a huge amount of potential improvement in his program.

In his first season, Blakeney finished 4-29 but coming into this season he had a historical recruit as 5-star Makur Maker decided he wanted to play for an HBCU and make a difference.

Unfortunately it didn’t work out that way.

First, Covid limited Howard to just five games and second, Maker had a groin injury and only played 49 minutes over two games because he had an injury.

Nonetheless, he’s declaring for the NBA Draft, which means that Howard basically got nothing out of the historical commitment and the chance to make a change is most likely gone.

But not absolutely, because Maker has not signed with an agent and could return. We hope he does, for his sake and for Howard’s.

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