For my third installment of Duke player previews I will be focusing on quite possibly the most interesting man in college basketball, Marvin Bagley III.
Marvin Bagley III, the former number one player of the 2018 class, turned number one player of the 2017 class. Bagley is one of the best talents to come out of college since Anthony Davis. It has been said that if Bagley was in the 2017 NBA Draft he would have gone number one with ease, keep in mind he was coming off his junior season in high school…
Name: Marvin Bagley III
Year: Freshman
Position: Power Forward/Center
Age: 18
Height: 6’11”
Weight: 210
High School: Sierra Canyon, California
Marvin Bagley is quite possibly the most interesting man in basketball. As the number one player in the 2018 class Bagley decided to reclassify and commit to Duke in order to join the most talented team college basketball may have ever seen. As soon as Bagley announced on SportsCenter that he reclassified and had committed to Duke he became the number one recruit in the 2017 class.
Bagley will most definitely start whether it be at the three or four with Bolden at the five and Carter at the three or the four, or at the five with Trent at the three and Carter at the four.
29 games, 24.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 2.0 BPG, 66 FG%, 29 3P%, 67 FT%, 81 TO, 26 STL
Bagley packed the stat sheet during the 2016-17 season at Sierra Canyon. He averaged a double double last season and it appears that it is possible to do so again his freshman year at Duke. He is a huge presence under the rim and he can even shoot mid range jump shots. If Bagley can manage to continue to dominate Duke is in for a treat in 2017-18.
2017-18 Predictions:
16.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.5 BPG, 74 FG%, 63 FT%, 41 TO, 15 STL
In 2017-18 it will be very tough for Bagley to average nearly 25 points per game due to the fact that he will share the court with three other top eight recruits and also Grayson Allen. Due to this his points per game and rebounds will go down a tad but his assists per game and field goal percentage will go up. Bagley will most likely go to the line a lot this season due to the fact that he has no problem getting to the rim so his free throw percentage will go down. Bagley will not have as many steals because of Duke’s stellar back court and he will not have as many turnovers for the same reason.
Related Story: Duke Basketball Player Previews: Gary Trent Jr.
I think Bagley has the potential to win the Wooden Player of the year in 2017-18. If he can continue to dominate on the glass he will be the best player in the nation. Bagley will be starting on a fantastic Duke team with expectations of a National Championship, and he will lead them there alongside senior Grayson Allen.
In the 2018 Draft there is no reason Bagley should fall outside the top three, and he should be the number one overall pick. This man is that good of a player and us Duke fans are going to learn to love him this season.