BrandonClayScouting.com: Player Card – Thon Maker

Thon Maker is one of North America’s elite prep basketball prospects regardless of class.
*David DePas / NBPA

Thon Maker of Orangeville, Ont., is one of the best prospects in high school basketball right now regardless of class. He is without a doubt the most versatile forward that we’ve seen in the class to date. His play has garnered scholarship offers from schools such as Duke, Kansas, Memphis, Missouri and UCLA to name a few. Here are our thoughts on what makes Maker so special:

 By: @JLHemingwayPSB & @BrandonClayPSB

Thon Maker – Orangeville Prep (Orangeville, Ont.) – 2016
Height: 7’0″
Position: Power Forward
OTRHoopsReport.com Eval Grade: 5 star
Committed College: NBA Draft

Date: January 18, 2016
Evaluator: Jonathan Hemingway
Location: Hoop Hall Classic (Springfield, Mass.)

Maker is interesting in that he can enforce the lane on the defensive end, but really struggles to impact on the interior offensively. He seems best in the pick and pop game. He hit a pair of 3 pointers and finished with 16 points and 8 rebounds and 10 block shots in a loss to Findlay Prep.

Date: December 4, 2015
Evaluator: Jonathan Hemingway
Location: Marshall Co. Hoop Fest (Benton, Ky.)

Thon put up 25 and 15 on night one vs. Curie and then followed that with a 17 and 18 game vs. Oak Hill. He is a high energy forward that is productive when he is playing 15′ and in. He has handling ability, but he loses effectiveness when he tries to create from the perimeter.

Date: June 18, 2015
Evaluator: Brandon Clay
Location: NBPA Top 100 Camp (Charlottesville, Va.)

Maker continues to display himself as a powerful option at the forward spot. He’s getting back to doing what makes him an elite prospect and that’s being effective around the rim. Maker is about to be impactful in the open floor as well with his ability to handle the basketball.

Date: October 11, 2014
Evaluator: Brandon Clay
Location: John Lucas Midwest Invitational (Louisville, Ky.)

Once again, Maker was a standout prospect in a gym full of top shelf talent. His ability to make plays with the ball in his hands in noteworthy given his 7-foot frame. Maker hit shots facing the basket off of the catch, the jab step and shoot and in transition at the rim as well. Like our NBPA Top 100 evals, the five-star forward was all over the glass blocking everything that he could get his hands on.

Date: June 20, 2014
Evaluator: Brandon Clay
Location: NBPA Top 100 Camp (Charlottesville, Va.)

Maker has real length and is active. His skill set for a guy his size is impressive as he impacts the game on both ends. Maker is a shot blocker/changer in the paint with ball skill on the perimeter to match. He very well could be the top pick in the 2017 or 2018 NBA draft.

Date: June 18, 2014
Evaluator: Jonathan Hemingway
Location: NBPA Top 100 Camp (Charlottesville, Va.)

Maker is a unique prospect in that he showed equal impact both on the interior and on the perimeter here today. He is a skilled back to the basket post player, but he also showed that he could hit 3-point jumpers with ease. The Kevin Durant comparisons are way off base. However, a Kevin Garnett comparison may not be too far off base.

Highlights of Maker compliments of Elite Mixtapes:

Media Exposure / Showcase Opportunities 

Brandon Clay is the Executive Camp Director of the Elite Basketball Academy and the owner of Brandon Clay Scouting. Clay is also the owner of Peach State Basketball, Inc., and ProspectsNation.com. He serves Director of Scouting for the OTRHoopsReport.com National Scouting Report. Clay has been involved in the community since 2001 as an evaluator, event operator and trainer. You can reach him at [email protected]

Jonathan Hemingway is a National Evaluator for the OTRHoopsReport. Hemingway serves on the Board of Selectors for the Naismith Trophy. also He is also the publisher of CoachHemi.com. He has been involved in the community since 1996 as a coach, camp director and evaluator. You can reach him via email at [email protected] and follow him on twitter @JLHemingwayPSB