Duke Basketball: Marvin Bagley III has the stage to himself

With so many of the one-and-done stars eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, Duke star Marvin Bagley III is the last man standing. Will he take advantage of this opportunity?

So much had happened in the first couple of rounds of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. There was a historical win for a 16 seed, and heavyweights dropping by the wayside.

Also dropping are the potential lottery picks that were playing in the Big Dance. A number of notable names are gone, including Collin Sexton of Alabama, DeAndre Ayton of Arizona, Mo Bamba of Texas, and Michael Porter Jr. of Missouri. This tournament still has some great players left to watch and enjoy, just not too many from those going to be in the green room of the upcoming NBA draft.

One high-profile player who is still playing is Marvin Bagley of Duke, a likely top-five pick if/when he decides to leave. In the Blue Devil’s blowout wins over Iona and Rhode Island, the freshman center averaged 22 points and eight rebounds while shooting a combined 18/24 (75%) from the field.

When Bagley was out for a four-game stretch towards the ladder end of the regular season, Ayton took advantage, becoming the current consensus No. 1 pick in the draft. But after his performance in the loss to Buffalo, questions are starting to arise about him.

Meanwhile, the big man for Duke has continued to excel on offense, while picking up his game on defense to become a complete basketball player.

With the only top players gone, Bagley now has a real chance to separate himself from the rest, and even make a case for him to be a top pick. He was supposed to get a rematch against Michigan State, a game where he only played 10 minutes and left with an eye injury. Instead, it’ll be Syracuse, whose zone he carved up with 19 points on 8/9 shooting. Next likely will be Kansas in the Elite Eight, and possibly Villanova and Kentucky on the path to a title.

Next: Ranking the Sweet Sixteen teams

We’ve seen before that draft stocks can rise with big performances in the NCAA Tournament. And with Bagley the only top draft pick left playing, he’ll have the chance to really put on a show, while the others sit at home and watch.