Sudanese-Australian phenom Thon Maker announced his intention of declaring for the NBA Draft if the league clears him on Sunday. This move effectively eliminated him from the short list of players who could be joining the ASU men's basketball program in the fall.
Maker's decision came as a shock to many, including those covering college basketball on the national level. He had been presumed to be going to school next year and the declaration was an about-face from anything said publicly.
According to an interview with DraftExpress Maker said no matter what he hears during the pre-draft process, he will be going, eliminating all thought of changing his mind.
"When I get the go ahead from the NBA, I'm all in," Maker said. "If you're doing something you have to be confident in your choice."
Whether ASU was in the running was up to debate, as it is the least established of any of the programs that were in the running. Kansas and Indiana blue bloods and Notre Dame are on the upswing with a tremendous coach.
What ASU had going for it, though, was the relationship Maker had with former assistant coach Brian Merritt, whose contract was not renewed following the announcement.
In the same DraftExpress interview, he revealed that he was leaning towards becoming a Sun Devil not only because of the relationship with Merritt, but also because of coach Bobby Hurley's coaching style.
"My guy Brian Merrit is at ASU and I was leaning that way," Maker said. "I loved coach Hurley's fire. When he got that tech early in the season, I was like ‘I want to play for this guy.'"
While ASU and its fans may be disappointed, the Sun Devils still have three players committed for the fall — two of which have already signed — that may be able to pick up the production Maker would have brought.
The highest profile of the three is Sam Cunliffe, who is consistently rated among the top two players in the state of Washington. Currently at Rainier Beach High School, Cunliffe has risen up the ranks, and many expect him to come in and make an impact right away.
Jethro Tshisumpa, from Moutain Mission School in Virginia, will step on campus as the largest player on the roster, clocking in at 6-9 and 250 pounds. With the departure of bigs like center Eric Jacobsen and forwards Savon Goodman and Willie Atwood, Tshisumpa may be relied on heavily on the block because of his size and the inexperience of the rest of ASU's players at the position.
The lone commitment left unsigned is Ukranian forward Vitaly Shibel. Slated to play as a power forward or center, Shibel's lean frame may be problematic at the next level, as he is by far the lightest of any of ASU's other options at the positions. Listed at 195 pounds, he's also lighter than Tyler Harris and Maurice O'Field, two guards.
Related links:
ASU men's basketball's Savon Goodman set to transfer
ASU men's basketball managing expectations in time of transition
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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