ASU’s Bobby Hurley on Thon Maker: ‘I think he would’ve been a top-10 pick’
Jun 22, 2016, 3:15 PM
Thon Maker, from Orangeville Prep-Athlete Institute, participates in the NBA draft basketball combine Friday, May 13, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley doesn’t sound like a man with hurt feelings.
Hurley completely understands why one-time Sun Devil recruit Thon Maker decided to enter the 2016 NBA Draft out of high school — a loophole in the early-entry rules allowed him to do so because he spent an extra year in high school.
“It was a tough day when he made that decision but we completely understood,” Hurley said while speaking on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM’s Doug and Wolf show. “We would never want someone that has a chance to be a first-round pick — if that’s what they wish to do — to do something else. I could tell his skillset was ready for it. I think he’ll surprise a lot of people.”
Maker said at the NBA Draft Combine that he likely would’ve attended Arizona State if he’d gone to college. But when the NBA declared the 7-foot, 216-pound 19-year-old eligible, he committed to becoming a pro without testing the waters.
DraftExpress projects Maker as an early second-round draft pick.
With the potential to develop into an energetic rebounder and potential face-up big, Maker will grow into a productive player in time, Hurley said.
“I think he’s got that type of drive to be great in my interactions with him and he’s a warrior,” Hurley told Doug and Wolf. “He’s a battler, he’ll rebound, he’s a shot-blocker. He’s a guy who can play on the perimeter a little bit.
“I think Thon Maker is better than where he’s being projected,” Hurley added. “I thought he was every bit as good as any of the top athletes in the 2016 class. If he would have went to college for the year, in my mind, knowing how he would’ve been utilized and what people would have seen from him, I think he would’ve been a top-10 pick.”
