Thon Maker, the No. 1 Class of 2016 recruit in the world, is on the move again

The world's most coveted basketball recruit is changing uniforms and countries.

Seven-foot phenom Thon Maker, Rivals.com's No. 1 ranked Class of 2016 prospect, has withdrawn from Martinsville (Va.) Carlisle School along with his younger brother Matur Maker, an elite sophomore.

Eric Bossi of Rivals first reported the story on Wednesday.

The brothers will transfer to Athlete Institute in Ontario, Canada and play there this season, guardian Ed Smith told Bossi on Friday afternoon.

Maker is the new top player on the Rivals150 list for the Class of 2016, which was released this week.

Here's what Smith said in a prepared statement before announcing the move to Canada.

A post on Thon's Instagram account showed the brothers at their new home.

While Athlete Institute coach Larry Blunt told The Toronto Sun, "We don't give any favors for being athletes," make no mistake: This is a move to maximize the Makers' basketball future. Thon Maker's rare blend of size and athleticism has already drawn comparisons to NBA MVPs Kevin Garnett and Kevin Durant, and his remarkable ball-handling and shot-making ability for a 17-year-old 7-footer has drawn collegiate interest from Duke, Kansas, Louisville and just about every other major Division I program.

The Makers arrived as middle school students at Metairie Park (La.) Country Day School from the Sudan by way of Australia. They soon transferred to the Carlisle School, where the duo led the Chiefs to a state title this past season. Thon Maker has been a mainstay on the summer circuit as well, most recently appearing in the Under Armour Elite 24 last month. It should be noted that both Garnett and Durant also attended multiple high schools in their prep tenures, so this practice is nothing new.

Likewise, reclassifying is fairly trendy among elite prep basketball recruits as well, and ESPN's Jeff Goodman suggested Thon Maker could join Athlete Institute's senior class and hasten his inevitable NBA arrival — in which case he would likely move into the No. 1 spot in the Class of 2015 rankings, just as top prospects Nerlens Noel and Andrew Wiggins claimed top billing upon reclassifying in recent years.