Marvin Bagley III Commits to Duke, Aims to Play This Season

Marvin Bagley III was a surprise addition to the class of 2017.

Marvin Bagley III, college basketball’s top unsigned recruit, announced on SportsCenter Monday night that he is committing to Duke. UCLA and USC were the other candidates for the West Coast product. 

Bagley was the consensus top recruit in the class of 2018 before announcing in late July that he was reclassifying with the intent of enrolling in college this year. He is an athletic 6'11" power forward known for his ability on the interior but is also considered an adequate outside shooter and ball handler.

He’s widely considered to be a one-and-done college player, as he would be a strong contender to go first in the 2018 NBA draft. Bagley even has experience playing against NBA players, suiting up in the Drew League on a team with James Harden and Chris Paul. 

If Marvin Bagley III's Reclassification Bid Succeeds, National Title Picture Will Change

It still remains to be seen whether Bagley will be cleared by the NCAA to compete this year. He would need to be enrolled in school in just a matter of weeks. 

UCLA and Duke both had scholarships available to offer Bagley, while USC would have needed to create room for Bagley or have him play as a walk-on. Duke also has experience welcoming late reclassifying players, as Derryck Thornton joined the Blue Devils in 2015 after moving up a year.