SHEFFIELD (Julio Chitunda's African Message) - If Cheick Diallo and Thon Maker are fortunate enough, they might end up making a living playing the sport they love.

The two high-school students are currently among the top prospects in the eyes of US colleges.

Coincidently, or maybe not, both players have close ties to Africa.

Last week, Diallo and Maker were selected to represent the world team at the 18th edition of the annual Nike Hoop Summit which will take place at the Moda Center, in Portland, on 11 April.

The pair of 18-year-olds will do more than take part in the world showcase event. They will also bear the African flag.

Diallo is from Mali, while Maker is an Australian citizen born in South Sudan.

The stories of these two matter to Africans in light of the recent influx of African-born players enrolling USA colleges.

Their stories also matter when considering a recent past of African-born players who featured in the Nike Hoop Summit and went on to build solid NBA careers.

First Serge Ibaka (2008), then Bismack Biyombo (2011) and more recently Cameroon's Joel Embiid (2013), all left their talent showcased in the Nike Hoop Summit books.

While Maker started his basketball career in Australia, before moving stateside, Diallo represented Mali at 2011 U16 FIBA Africa Championship and moved to the US two years later.

He first appeared in the Jordan Brand Classic international game in 2013. Since then, the Malian prospect has become a household name in the USA high-school circles.

Do a quick search of Diallo's YouTube highlight videos, and it becomes clear why so many reputable US colleges such as Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa State, Louisville and Pittsburgh are chasing the 2.08m forward Malian who has great athleticism.

The high-school student athlete at Our Savior New American School in New York, showcases his all-around skills and leaves us wondering how good of a player he could become if he is fortunate enough not to get distracted in his career.

And, of course, Mali basketball, which is trying to emerge from modest results at the continental level, would thank him for bearing the country's name on big stages.

Just like Diallo is a talented player requiring improvement, Maker is another intriguing college prospect, not only because of his 2.14m figure, but also because of this ability to run the court and shoot the basketball.

He has reportedly attracted interest from Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan and Duke, just to mention a few, but he is yet to commit.

As he discussed his future, Maker is cited on SLAM as saying: "I've been getting ready for the next level so staying back would just take the energy and enthusiasm out of it."

Whichever basketball programmes these two players choose in the next few months, we may see, sooner rather than later, their names being called up in the NBA draft.

Whether they become first round picks or are selected in the second round only depends on how much time they dedicate to their basketball craft.

Until then, Diallo and Maker will try to help the world team gain its third victory in the last four editions of the Nike Hoop Summit, following wins in 2012 (84-75) and 2013 (112-98).

Julio Chitunda

FIBA

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