Top-50 NCAA Basketball recruit Marcus Bagley has shortened his list of finalists to just three. Which of those teams are best suited to land him?
Marvin Bagley had a historically good freshmen NCAA Basketball season for Duke a couple of years ago. The 2019 ACC Player of the Year averaged 21.0 ppg and 11.1 rpg and set a number of conference records before being drafted No. 2 overall in the NBA Draft. Now the sport will have to deal with his younger brother, Marcus Bagley soon enough.
Although he’s not as talented as his older brother, Marcus has developed into a quality basketball player in his own right. Currently ranked No. 50 overall in the recruiting class via 247sportsComposite, Bagley is a four-star coveted prospect. The 6’8 small forward is an outstanding scorer who has range and can create on his own. He’s a versatile athlete who can play and defend multiple positions, potentially even at the shooting guard spot.
The Sacramento native has just recently narrowed his list of finalists to just three teams. That includes both state of Arizona schools (Arizona and Arizona State), as well as California to make it a Pac-12 affair. East coast programs such as Pittsburgh and Florida State were always viewed as longshots and the cuts confirmed that.
With just three teams left, a decision from Bagley could be looming. Which of the programs is the best option for him? And could the potential competition at the small forward position be a possible deterrent for the four-star recruit? Here’s a breakdown of each roster and incoming set of prospects.
Arizona Wildcats
To get this out of the way, it was to be mentioned regarding any connection to Arizona Basketball recruiting that “notice of allegations” are being sent to programs by the NCAA this summer. The first one has recently been sent to NC State regarding their involvement with Dennis Smith Jr. There has been a lot of smoke with the Wildcats regarding DeAndre Ayton and although there’s been no real fire, a simple letter from the NCAA could very well change that.
If new developments do happen with Sean Miller and Arizona, that changes everything with not only Bagley but other class of 2020 prospects. But for the sake of “innocent until proven guilty” let’s assume nothing does happen with this program. In that scenario, the Wildcats could very well be the favorites to land him.
Of the three, Arizona is not only the most high-profile option but they’re also most likely to make any kind of run in the NCAA Tournament. The older Bagley went to the top school on the east coast so why not the younger one do the same on the opposite end of the country?
The wing position could be wide-open for the 2020-21 season, assuming that five-star freshmen Josh Green does go pro. But even then, both he and Bagley can play multiple positions so they can be on the court together at the same time.
However, things could get complicated if another five-star wing opts to play for Arizona. They’re considered the favorites to land MarJon Beauchamp, ranked in the top-25 overall in the 2020 class. That would make things more difficult for Bagley if they both pick the Wildcats. But that would be the case regardless if he picks the juggernaut program.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Just like the Wildcats, the Sun Devils are also in the running for the previously mentioned Beauchamp. But the odds are much less likely that he’ll pick them, leaving the program still looking for another small forward. Arizona State filled the other needs in their 2019 recruiting class, including three frontcourt pieces and a pair of combo guards.
Head coach Bobby Hurley would be a nice fit for the offensively-minded Bagley, as his teams tend to do very well on that end of the court. And he would be a better fit at the small forward position than either Taeshon Cherry or Kimani Lawrence, who are better suited as power forwards.
Of the three options, Arizona State may provide the best overall situation. As someone not likely to go pro after one year, Bagley will be able to develop without being passed over by a five-star recruit from a future class. And while the Sun Devils aren’t a top-10 program, they have made the NCAA Tournament this past season and could very well do it again for 2019-20. This team certainly isn’t rebuilding like California is.
There might not be a program rooting for someone else’s downfall like Arizona State hoping that the NCAA comes down on rival Arizona. If that happens, the Sun Devils would benefit greatly on and off the court. In fact, Bagley and his signature could depend on it.
California Bears
For those who have been following Bagley’s recruiting process, it’s not a big surprise that the Bears have made the final cut. Whether it’s from the previous coaching staff or since Mark Fox was hired this offseason as the new head coach, the program has been after the top-50 forward arguably the hardest. They’re as close to being the “hometown” school for Bagley and their education reputation is as impressive as it comes.
The obvious “pro” with Bagley joining California is that he’d become the face for the program as long as he’s there. If he’s as good offensively as projected, Bagley could drop 20 ppg and be an All-Pac 12 performer. That wouldn’t happen right away at Arizona State and with the Wildcats, he could simply be a mere role player to the bigger recruits that arrive.
Of course, the obvious “con” for Bagley is that he would essentially be forgetting playing in the NCAA Tournament in college. After an 8-23 (3-15) season, the Bears suffered a ton of roster turnover. Their best players (Justice Sueing and Darius McNeill) transferred, along with three other role players. There are a couple of good three-star recruits coming in but the odds of Cal winning more than 12 games next season is slim.
Bagley arriving would be a nice boost but the team is a long ways away from being in NCAA Tournament contention. And even if Bagley plays well, that doesn’t mean that his draft stock would improve by producing for a bad team. Cal’s consistent pursuit of Bagley landed them a final-3 spot but unless he really wants to play for the Bears, look for this to be a state of Arizona showdown.