CS Maristes | |
---|---|
Position | Power forward / center |
League | Lebanese Basketball League |
Personal information | |
Born | Sudan (now South Sudan) | 1 January 1998
Nationality | Australian / South Sudanese |
Listed height | 208 cm (6 ft 10 in) |
Listed weight | 95 kg (209 lb) |
Career information | |
High school | |
NBA draft | 2019: undrafted |
Playing career | 2018–present |
Career history | |
2018 | Union Neuchâtel |
2018–2019 | Zlatorog Laško |
2019–2020 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
2021–2022 | Sydney Kings |
2022 | Canterbury Rams |
2023 | Nelson Giants |
2024 | Taipei Fubon Braves |
2024 | Rockhampton Rockets |
2024 | Al-Ahli Jeddah |
2025–present | CS Maristes |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at Basketball Reference |
Matur Marial Maker (born 1 January 1998) [1] is a South Sudanese-born Australian basketball player for CS Maristes of the Lebanese Basketball League. He moved to Australia in his childhood and played for various prep schools in Canada and the United States, before forgoing college basketball. He won an NBL championship with the Sydney Kings in 2022.
Maker was born in what is now known as South Sudan on 1 January 1998, joinng his older brother Thon Maker. [2] [3] In Matur's early childhood, his uncle, a local administrator, helped the family flee to Uganda amid a civil war in their home country. [4] They then settled in Perth, Western Australia as refugees when Maker was four years of age but continued making occasional visits to South Sudan. [5] [6] Matur first started playing soccer at Grayhounds soccer club, a club where many south Sudanese kids played for and alongside his brother Thon. At age 13, Matur was discovered by basketball scout Edward Smith and began living with him in Sydney, before moving to the United States. [5] [7] After his parents were satisfied by the decision, Matur was allowed to join his brother in high school and Smith eventually became their legal guardian. [5]
Maker began playing high school basketball as a freshman at Carlisle School in Martinsville, Virginia, where he joined Thon, a sophomore, in the middle of the season. [8] [9] His guardian Edward Smith, who the brothers lived with in a two-storey house, was an assistant coach for the team at the time. [8] [10] According to Smith, Matur's arrival at Carlisle helped Thon better acclimate to the United States. [8] During his freshman season, Matur was considered one of the best high school players in the country at the small forward position. [11] He helped Carlisle win a state championship and played with Team Loaded VA of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). [12]
For his sophomore year, Maker transferred from Carlisle, with Hopewell Academy in Cary, North Carolina and Orangeville Prep in Orangeville, Ontario as potential destinations. [11] In September 2014, Maker and his brother enrolled at Orangeville Prep, where they played under head coach Larry Blunt and with fellow top prospect Jamal Murray. [12] He was named Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA) second-team all-star. [13]
In 2016–17, Maker moved to The Tech Academy in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where he was coached by his guardian Edward Smith and became teammates with cousin Makur Makur. [14] With the Milwaukee Bucks having selected Thon at the 2016 NBA draft, the transfer allowed Matur to live closer to his brother. [13] In April 2017, Maker competed in the BioSteel All-Canadian Basketball Game in Toronto, where he was named most valuable player. [15] In the game, he recorded 25 points and six rebounds, shooting 8-of-11 from the field, playing only 12 minutes. [16] At an adidas Nations event in August, he averaged 26 points and seven rebounds for the Asia Pacific team. [17]
Maker played a postgraduate season of basketball at Mississauga Prep in Mississauga, Ontario for 2017–18. [17] By 2018, he was averaging 25.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.7 steals. [18] On 5 January 2018, Maker declared intentions to bypass college and enter the 2018 NBA draft, attempting to follow a similar path as his brother in 2016. [17] [19] He drew attention from scouts on 11 January, when he notched 45 points, 20 rebounds, two blocks and three steals in a 95–85 defeat to GTA Prep. [18] However, due to a lack of attention on his name during the 2018 NBA draft process, he withdrew his name from the 2018 NBA draft on the 11 June international deadline.
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matur Maker PF | Orangeville, ON | Mississauga Prep (ON) | 6 ft 9.7 in (2.08 m) | 193.3 lb (87.7 kg) | — | |
Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: 247Sports: 155, 39 (PF) | ||||||
Sources:
|
On 7 August 2018, Maker signed with Union Neuchâtel of the Swiss Basketball League. [20] In four games, he averaged 5.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. [21]
On 30 December 2018, Maker signed with Zlatorog Laško of the Slovenian Basketball League. Maker played 17 games with Zlatorog and averaged 13 ppg, 10 rpg and lead his team to the playoffs. [22]
On 19 October 2019, Maker signed with the Houston Rockets of the NBA, [23] but was waived the next day. [24] Following this, Maker was added to the roster of the Rockets' NBA G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. [25]
Maker joined the Denver Nuggets for the 2021 NBA Summer League. [26]
On 27 August 2021, Maker signed with the Sydney Kings for the 2021–22 NBL season. [27]
In May 2022, Maker played three games with the Canterbury Rams during the 2022 New Zealand NBL season. [28] [29]
On 4 April 2023, Maker signed with the Nelson Giants for the 2023 New Zealand NBL season. [30]
In March 2024, Maker had a one-game stint with Taipei Fubon Braves of the P. League+. [31] [32] [33]
In April 2024, Maker joined the Rockhampton Rockets of the NBL1 North. [29] He was named to the NBL1 North Second Team. [34]
In August 2024, Maker signed with Al-Ahli Jeddah of the Saudi Basketball League. [35] He appeared in three games for Al-Ahli in October 2024. [29]
In January 2025, Maker initially signed with Al-Nasr of the Libyan Division I Basketball League [36] but a week later signed with CS Maristes of the Lebanese Basketball League. [37] [38]
Maker's parents, who descend from the Dinka people, still live in South Sudan [39] and are also both very tall; his father stands 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) and his mother stands 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in). [40] His brother, Thon Maker, was drafted at pick 10 in the 2016 NBA draft. Another brother, Maker Maker, plays soccer for South Melbourne FC's under-20 team. [41] He has a cousin, Makur, who currently plays basketball for Capital City Go-Go, after having previously played for Howard University. [42] Another cousin, Aliir Aliir, plays in the Australian Football League for Port Adelaide. [43]
Brad Newley is an Australian professional basketball player for the Frankston Blues of the NBL1 South. After starting his career in Australia, playing for the Australian Institute of Sport and the Townsville Crocodiles, Newley was drafted 54th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2007 NBA draft. He never played in the NBA and instead carved out a career in Europe, playing in Greece, Turkey, Lithuania, and Spain between 2007 and 2016. Between 2016 and 2024, he played in the National Basketball League (NBL) for the Sydney Kings and Melbourne United.
Jerome Jerry Randle is an American-Ukrainian former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the California Golden Bears before playing professionally in several European countries. Randle has a Ukrainian passport and represented Ukraine at EuroBasket 2015.
Terrico Reshard White is an American professional basketball player for the Kalamunda Eastern Suns of the NBL1 West. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2010 NBA draft after playing two collegiate seasons at Ole Miss, where he earned SEC Rookie of the Year in 2009.
The Howard Bison men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Howard University in Washington, DC, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Howard most recently appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2024. The head coach of the Bison is Kenny Blakeney.
Travis Demetrius Leslie is an American professional basketball player for the CS Maristes of the Lebanese Basketball League. He is a 6'4", 205 lb shooting guard out of the University of Georgia.
Brian Scott "Scotty" Hopson is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Converge FiberXers of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Montrezl Dashay Harrell is an American professional basketball player for the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals where he received the Karl Malone Award in 2015 as a junior for being the top power forward in the nation. Harrell was selected in the second round of the 2015 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017 where he was awarded as the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2020. Harrell spent the following three seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers. He missed the entire 2023–24 season after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Harrell signed with the 36ers in 2024.
Aliir Mayom Aliir is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He formerly played for the Sydney Swans.
Thon Marial Maker is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League. He attended high school at Orangeville District Secondary School and played basketball for Canada's Athlete Institute. He was picked 10th overall in the 2016 NBA draft, and played for three different NBA teams between 2016 and 2021.
Deng Adel is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals.
The Athlete Institute is an athletic centre located in Mono, Ontario. It is made up of three facilities, the training centre, residence and the fieldhouse. The Institute is home to The Orangeville Prep Basketball Academy, who compete in the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA). Orangeville District Secondary School provides academic instruction for the institute's students. As well as home to By Design Learning Centre, CrossFit Orangeville, Purple Owl Pilates and Athlete Institute Football Club. (AIFC) It was formerly home to the Orangeville A's of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC).
Terrance Eugene Ferguson Jr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for Bashkimi Prizren. He completed high school at Advanced Preparatory International in Dallas, Texas, where he was a top-20 player in the Class of 2016. Ferguson made separate commitments to both Alabama and Arizona before deciding to skip college and play overseas in 2016–17. He is a three-time gold medalist with Team USA, and in 2016, he participated in the McDonald's All-American Game and the Nike Hoop Summit, winning the MVP award at the latter.
LaMelo LaFrance Ball is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Hornets with the third overall pick of the 2020 NBA draft. Ball was voted the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2021 and named an NBA All-Star the following season in 2022.
LiAngelo Robert Ball, also known by his stage name G3, is an American professional basketball player and rapper who last played for the Astros de Jalisco. Ball played for Chino Hills High School in California, where he won a state championship and achieved national success as a junior with his brothers Lonzo and LaMelo, who are both current NBA guards. A three-star recruit and UCLA signee, he decided to forgo college basketball after being suspended for shoplifting in China before the 2017–18 season. In turn, Ball signed with Lithuanian professional team Prienai. He later played in the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), a league founded by his father, before joining the G League at the end of 2019–20. He was briefly signed to the Detroit Pistons in late 2020, but was waived prior to the start of the 2020–21 season. Ball joined the Greensboro Swarm in 2021.
Cameron Jaleel Oliver is an American professional basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League. He played college basketball for the Nevada Wolf Pack.
RoderickDeon "R. J." Hampton Jr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Capital City Go-Go of the NBA G League. He was a five-star recruit at Little Elm High School in Little Elm, Texas. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks as the 24th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
Makur Maker is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for Al-Ittihad Jeddah of the Saudi Basketball League (SBL). A consensus five-star recruit, he committed to play college basketball for Howard University, becoming the highest-ranked player in the modern recruiting era to commit to a historically black college or university (HBCU).
Manyiel Wugol is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player who plays for South West Slammers in the NBL1
Joshua Evan Christopher is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Arizona State Sun Devils. He is a 6-foot-4-inch (1.93 m), 215-pound (98 kg) shooting guard.
Maker Marial Maker is a South Sudanese footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for Dandenong Thunder.