UK, U of L target Thon Maker may reclassify to 2015

Five-star power forward Thon Maker – arguably the nation's No. 1 basketball player in the Class of 2016 – is considering a reclassification to 2015, according to Scout.com, a move that could affect the recruiting strategies of Kentucky and Louisville.

The 7-foot Maker (pictured on the right next to his brother, 2017 player Matur Maker) is a Sudanese native who grew up in Australia and now attends the Carlisle School in Virginia. He offers a unique combination of height, skill and athletic ability that have (perhaps unfairly) drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant and Kevin Garnett, and Maker already has scholarship offers from most elite college programs, including a recent offer from U of L.

UK has not offered a scholarship but has expressed significant interest and it would seem to be only a matter of time before the Wildcats fully join the race for Maker, too. It's possible that a move to 2015 would hasten that UK offer.

Maker's guardian, Ed Smith, told Scout analyst Evan Daniels that the decision of reclassifying will be based in part on Maker's ability to add weight to his lanky frame over the next year.

Daniels tweeted that he predicts Maker will eventually skip a grade and go to the 2015 class and that he's preparing academically for the move.