UCLA leading for Makur Maker if he goes college route

It doesn’t appear Makur Maker will be joining the Kentucky Wildcats for the 2020-21 season.

The five-star center has long been considered a lock to enter the NBA Draft, but a few weeks ago, Maker revealed he might end up playing college ball with the Wildcats and UCLA Bruins as the main contenders.

Friday, Maker made it clear that UCLA is the favorite if he does go the college route.

“UCLA’s leading right now in my opinion. UCLA would be a great fit for me,” Maker told Ben Bolch of the LA Times. “It’s in my backyard, it’s right near my house, only about an hour’s drive. And UCLA has produced a lot of pros—Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, everybody’s been through there.”

Maker currently lives in Orange, California, and it has been reported by many he prefers to stay in the draft, even despite his recent comments about considering college.

All of this likely means that Kentucky will miss out on the center, which is not any means the end of the world.

If the NCAA grants Wake Forrest transfer Olivier Sarr an immediate eligibility waiver, the Cats’ front court will have their starting center in an experienced All-ACC performer with incoming freshman Isaiah Jackson also in the mix.

Still, it would be nice to see Kentucky add one more big, both for extra depth and added security if Sarr is ruled ineligible. Perhaps options other than Maker will emerge in the coming weeks.