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5-star recruit Thon Maker could forego 2016 NBA Draft to spend extra year in school

Brett Davis / Reuters

Without ever having stepped on a collegiate basketball court, five-star recruit Thon Maker is already projected as a first-round selection in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Basketball scouting service DraftExpress.com currently has Maker projected as the No. 28 pick in 2016, but he could throw a wrench in that plan.

Already expected to miss the first semester of the 2015-16 college basketball season, opting to enroll at the semester break in the middle of the season, Maker is believed to be considering staying in school for the entirety of the 2016-17 season, rather than entering the 2016 NBA Draft as many had anticipated.

Maker's guardian, Ed Smith, told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that Maker could wait until the 2017 NBA Draft before entering the pro ranks.

“I don’t want to put a one-and-done on it. You finish high school, step one,” Smith said. “When you’re ready and your body is ready for the pro game, step two.

"There is no one-and-a-half-year plan in place. It is when he is ready. If it takes (three-and-a-half) years then so be it. The feel is that if he went mid-year he would be more effective in Year 2 because he would have had the summer and the fall to get better."

The 7-footer is the best player still available in the 2015 recruiting class. His unique skill set makes him one of the most highly coveted players in the class, which is why teams are willing to wait on him.

Smith also noted that he speaks most often with Indiana and Arizona State - the two schools considered the frontrunners for Maker's services.

“We all know basketball," Smith said. "It’s hard to come in and miss the summer, miss the fall and come in mid-year. That’s ridiculous to try to come in and make a jump like that. If we go full year (beginning 2016-17), then he’s there for the whole year. There’s not a time clock on when he goes (to college) or when he doesn’t.”

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