Two of the biggest names in the Class of 2016 are planning to make decisions in the coming weeks.
Thon Maker and Marques Bolden, two uncommitted big men, could decide sometime in April.
“I have my first official visit ever and this one is to Kansas [March 5] and then after that I’ll take a few more visits and then the decision will be ready right after March so that will be in April,” the 7-foot Maker told Northpolehoops.com.
Maker is also considering St. John’s, Notre Dame, Indiana, Arizona State and UNLV.
He has taken numerous unofficials but his visit this weekend to Kansas for Senior Day against Iowa State marks his first official.
“When you take officials you really get an in-depth of the program itself,” Maker said.
Asked what he’s looking for in a school, Maker said: “I just have to go to a place where I’m comfortable with my teammates and comfortable with my coaches, and not comfortable as in we’re going to take it slow and have fun. We’re going to have fun but were going to go hard at all times and find ways to win. We’re going to be aggressive in practices and I’m going to have good teammates around. We’re going to have a great coaches around who are going to prepare me for the NBA. “
Maker is projected as the No. 29 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFJsFRADPoo]
BOLDEN EYEING DECISION
Marques Bolden also said he’s eyeing a college decision in the coming weeks.
“I don’t really know,” the 6-foot-10 big man from DeSoto (TX) told Scout.com about a decision date. “Probably next month. I don’t want to go into the games uncommitted, I’ll be committed by Hoop Summit game. I’m not trying to go into those [games] uncommitted.”
Bolden told Scout he’s basically down to Kentucky, Duke, TCU and Oklahoma.
Kansas is out after they landed big man Udoka Azubuike and continue to pursue Maker.
Duke already has the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation with forwards Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles — the top two projected picks in the 2017 NBA Draft per DraftExpress.com — along with point guard Frank Jackson and forward Javin DeLaurier.
“Really just the opportunity to come in and play,” Bolden told Scout of what stand out about Duke. “I know that they are losing a lot. Really just playing and learning from a great coach like Coach K. There’s a lot really that sticks out about them.”
Kentucky, meantime, is looking to add another big to an incoming group that includes Bam Adebayo, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones, along with returnees Tai Wynyard and Isaac Humphries.
“Really just the success they’ve had with their bigs,” Bolden said when asked about the Cats. “They make it look so easy.”
ST. JOHN’S WATCHES FERGUSON
One day after watching Maker in Canada, St. John’s assistant Barry “Slice” Rohrssen was in Dallas to see Terrance Ferguson at Advanced Prep International, sources confirmed.
TThe 6-7 Ferguson on Tuesday decommitted from Alabama and is weighing his options.
St. John’s likes his ability to defend and shoot and would love to add him to a class that includes Shamorie Ponds, Richard Freudenberg and Bashir Ahmed.
St. John’s is also recruiting Class of 2017 point guard Trevon Duval of API, the top point guard in that class.
KEVIN KNOX TO VISIT UNC, DUKE
Kevin Knox, a 6-8 Class of 2017 small forward from Tampa (FL) Catholic, will visit Duke and North Carolina on Friday before the teams play Saturday at Duke, he told Scout.com.
As Scout noted, he also visited both Tobacco Road schools the weekend of Feb. 13.
SYRACUSE, VILLANOVA WATCH CHRISTIAN DAVID
Syracuse assistant Adrian “Red” Autry and Villanova assistant Baker Dunleavy were at Vermont Academy on Wednesday to see Christian David, a 6-5 Filipino-Canadian shooting guard.
David’s stock has blown up recently.
“The schools working hardest are Creighton, Oregon, George Washington and Providence,” he told SNY.tv on Wednesday.
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