Howard Makes Massive Jump in Preseason KenPom Rankings After Makur Maker Commitment

The Howard men's basketball program was forever changed once 2020 five-star recruit Makur Maker announced his decision to play with the Bison next season.

While this is a monumental step for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as a whole, this is also a really big deal for the current Howard program.

Last season, Howard was 4-29 (1-15 MEAC). Only three of those wins were against Division I opponents. Literally they were one of the worst teams in college basketball.

But with Maker that will change things. Not only will they vault to title favorites in the MEAC, but their national profile and coverage will greatly improve. Already Ken Pomeroy, who is the developer behind one of the most trusted metrics in the sport (KenPom), has the Bison taking a huge step by simply adding the five-star center.

Howard goes from 352 to 255 in my preseason ratings
— Ken Pomeroy (@kenpomeroy) July 3, 2020

That meant Howard was going to be second-to-last in Division I for Pomeroy's preseason rankings this year. Going to 252nd gives them a 27% jump by the addition of a single player.

That will be the largest jump by a player - ever, according to Pomeroy.

Certainly for adding a player. I think there have been cases of losing a player that have been in the ballpark for dropping that much.
— Ken Pomeroy (@kenpomeroy) July 3, 2020