Recruiting: Five-star Marques Bolden to decide Thursday

With Kentucky and Duke recruiting him, five-star big man Marques Bolden is set to announce his college decision on Thursday.

After a long awaited recruiting process, the top center in the class of 2016 is finally ready to make his college announcement.

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On Thursday, May 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET at his high school in DeSoto, Texas, Marques Bolden will decide between Kentucky and Duke, which will ultimately determine the top recruiting class in the nation.

Bolden originally set an unofficial decision deadline for his birthday, April 17, but the date came and went with no breaking news. Many expected the top center to make an announcement on a national stage at one of the four high school All-American games he participated in, but for one reason or another, nothing came to fruition.

Kentucky currently holds the top recruiting class in the nation, one that consists of five-star guards De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, and five-star forwards Wenyen Gabriel, Sacha Killeya-Jones, and Edrice “Bam” Adebayo. Each player who signed on to play with the Wildcats are consensus top 30 prospects in the nation, with Fox, Monk, and Adebayo listed in the top ten.

Duke sits close behind at No. 2, with Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum, and Frank Jackson leading the way as top 15 prospects in the nation. Javin DeLaurier, a consensus top 50 recruit, and Australian forward Jack White round out their class.

One would assume Bolden’s delay has to do with both rosters becoming finalized. He now has a better idea of the depth each team has, his likely playing time, and if there is even a scholarship available at either school.

Duke’s roster is complete, and has been for quite some time. A scholarship for Bolden at Duke was in question until former five star guard Derryck Thornton announced his intentions to transfer this offseason.

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Kentucky, on the other hand, may not have an official roster set for another week.

Isaiah Briscoe and Marcus Lee are currently trying their luck in the NBA Draft and are working out for NBA teams in hopes of hearing their name called next month. Lee was announced as an “alternate” for the Combine (he eventually received a spot), but Briscoe was not invited.

Lee did not receive positive reports from scouts.

Lee recently announced he was “maybe 85 percent to 87 percent” likely to remain in the draft, but news broke yesterday that he had cancelled all further team workouts he had scheduled with NBA organizations.

Has Lee been promised a slot by a team in the second round or as an undrafted free agent? Or have his harsh Combine reviews pushed him back to Kentucky?

No one knows, but the forward’s decision could have major implications of Bolden tomorrow afternoon. If Lee does indeed return and Bolden commits, the front court would have more bodies than expected.

Even if Lee does end up back in Lexington, the team has an open scholarship due to the transfer of guard Charles Matthews.

No matter where Bolden decides to attend, either school will be receiving the best back-to-the-basket recruit in the nation, a player that will provide an immediate low-post scoring threat and a shot blocking presence in the paint.

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Bolden’s commitment will without a doubt lock up the top recruiting class in the nation, regardless of which shade of blue he ends up in on Thursday.

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