Background
Maker was born in a village in what is now South Sudan.
Maker was born in a village in what is now South Sudan.
He previously attended Carlisle School in Martinsville, Virginia.
At 7"1", Maker is considered a five-star recruit by most basketball recruiting services. From there, they were accepted as refugees by Australia. They then moved to Perth, Western Australia where the family eventually settled down.
When he was 14, Maker was discovered by Edward Smith, an Australian of African-American heritage who helps children from migrant backgrounds receive opportunities they otherwise wouldn"t get.
Smith had previously helped fellow Sudanese immigrants Ater Majok and Mathiang Muo. In Sydney, Maker played basketball for the Saint George Basketball Association during 2011 where he dominated on the court and subsequently made friends off lieutenant
However, just before the team"s playoffs, Maker and Smith left to attend a talent camp in Texas. Once in the United States, Maker attended two schools in Louisiana before finally settling down at Carlisle School in Martinsville, Virginia.
During his freshman and sophomore years playing for Carlisle"s varsity team, Maker averaged 22.2 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 4.5 blocks over a total of 53 games.
In conjunction with the Athlete Institute, the brothers enrolled at Orangeville District Secondary School in the nearby town of Orangeville. On 18 February 2015, Maker announced his decision to reclassify into the 2015 class, which would have made 2014-2015 his final year of high school. On 11 March, he was named to take part in the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon.
Playing alongside fellow Australian Ben Simmons in the 11 April game, Maker recorded 2 points, 10 rebounds and 1 block as the World Team defeated Team United States of America, 103–101.
On 18 June 2015, Maker announced his decision to remain in the Class of 2016 and instead enroll in college for the 2016-2017 season, returning to Orangeville Preparatory for the 2015-2016 season. Maker noted how stressful it was working toward entering the Class of 2015, with the issue centred on his workload and the pressure in "trying to get it all done at once".
Maker"s parents, who descend from the Dinka people, still live in South Sudan and are also both extremely tall. His father is 203 cm (6"8") and his mother 190 cm (6"3").