By JACOB POLACHECK
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Marvin Bagley III, the 6-foot-10 power forward and consensus No. 1 player in the class of 2018, says he doesn’t have plans to reclassify to the 2017 class.
“No,” Bagley told ZAGSBLOG Saturday when asked about the possibility of reclassing. “I’m just worried about getting better. I’m not worried about reclassifying. I’m just taking it day by day. Whatever happens in the future happens.”
Through the first three Nike EYBL sessions, Bagley has averaged 25.2 points (.563 from the field), 14.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 29.6 minutes per outing.
Bagley is currently down to six schools: Arizona, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA and USC. He broke down each for ZAGSBLOG:
Arizona: “I love Arizona. I grew up there my whole life. I was born there. I know that area pretty well. I’ve seen Tucson. It’s a comfortable place that feels like home. I just love the area and it’s a great place.”
Duke: “Duke speaks for itself. It’s a great school. Coach K, [Jeff] Capel , and all those guys are in the tournament every year. It’s a great school.”
USC and UCLA: “I love both of those schools. They’re on my list. I visited USC with my brother. I liked the campus and it was just a good feeling on campus. So was UCLA. I got to see a practice. It’s a great campus and a great place.”
Kansas and Kentucky: “They’re all great schools. I could say the same thing about each of the schools. They’re all great. They speak for themselves. They’re in the tournament. They play in big time tournaments and games every year on ESPN. They’re both great places.”
Despite his recruitment heating up, Bagley is taking his time with his recruitment, saying, “I’m not worried about it right now. It’s getting closer but as of today, I’m just focused on winning games. I’m still trying to get better every time I step on the floor.”
After cutting his list to six earlier this year, each school in his list has a few things in common, as he said, “I’m looking for a somewhere I could go and get better. That’s my main focus. That’s what I tell everybody. It’s not about the name. It’s not about all the news and the hype. It’s about where I can go and get better. Wherever that place may be out of my list is where I’ll go.”
