Busting Brackets
Fansided

Duke Basketball: Marques Bolden Cut from United States’ U-19 Team

By Stuart Gill

Dec 21, 2016; Greensboro, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Marques Bolden (20) stands on the court in the first half against the Elon Phoenix at Greensboro Coliseum. Duke defeated Elon 72-61. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 21, 2016; Greensboro, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Marques Bolden (20) stands on the court in the first half against the Elon Phoenix at Greensboro Coliseum. Duke defeated Elon 72-61. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Marques Bolden has a lot of questions surrounding his game, and that will only continue now that he has been cut from the USA’s U-19 team.

About three weeks ago, Coach K was telling reporters at his annual K Academy that Marques Bolden was poised for a breakout year. Citing his work ethic over the off-season and the opportunity to play for the U-19 team, Krzyzewski said that Duke’s opponents would see Bolden return to the kind of player he was in high school. His second reason was made irrelevant after U-19 Head Coach John Calipari dismissed Bolden during the first round of cuts.

Calipari made the decision just a day after Bolden suffered an apparent hip injury that forced him out of action during an evening practice. It wasn’t a serious injury, but apparently was enough to convince Calipari he wasn’t needed at the camp any longer.

Many had pegged Bolden as a lottery pick following his high school career, during which he earned invitations to numerous elite skill camps and became a McDonald’s All-American. But then, Bolden had an underwhelming freshman season, missing some early games due to a leg injury and averaging 6.5 minutes per game. The pressure is on for him to excel as a sophomore, but so far it doesn’t look as though the road hasn’t gotten any easier for the center from DeSoto, Texas.

Being cut from the U-19 squad doesn’t mean that Bolden’s sophomore season will be a wash, but it doesn’t look great, either. Many of the 18 finalists are younger than Bolden, like Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo, Kevin Knox and PJ Washington. According to SEC writer Kyle Tucker, Bolden wasn’t impressing even before the injury:

If Bolden wasn’t able to excel against the competition at the U-19 camp– even while healthy– it is likely that he will continue to struggle to find his form while competing in the ACC. Duke will certainly be a major contender in college hoops this upcoming season, but they need Bolden to be solid in order to make a very deep run. Bolden’s summer progression is not off to a good start, but maybe he can get back to form quickly.

Home/Duke Blue Devils