Bagley has averaged 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 51.3% in four games with the Pistons. Sometimes, a clean slate is important for a young player in getting their career back on track. 

The 6-foot-11 forward was recently asked about the trade itself and what it felt like to get that fresh start. 

“I felt like a weight was taken off my back,” Bagley told The Athletic. “I felt like I could have fun playing basketball. Being in a new environment, new facility, new teammates, new faces, I think that’s what I needed. To finally get that, I’m going to make the most of the opportunity.”

It’s not a guarantee that Bagley ever becomes a star at the NBA level like he was projected to be coming out of college. Being the second overall pick comes with high expectations, but now that he’s no longer with the team that selected him that high, perhaps the expectations and pressure can be re-aligned. 

The post Marvin Bagley Reflects on Trade from Kings to Pistons appeared first on SLAM.

Walton, however, concedes that “you won’t see that for a while.”

Bagley, 20, is averaging 13.4 points and 7.4 rebounds this season, all slightly under his rookie campaign numbers.

Per The Sac Bee:

“No, his 3-point shooting looks good,” Walton said. “It’s more that we want him to get really comfortable with the playbook at one spot first, and when he’s really comfortable at that spot then we can move him.

“If we play him with Richaun [Holmes] now, he’s playing the 4 and every play we call, he’s got to be somewhere else and make different reads. We want him to be free out there. We want him to be able to go all out, so he’ll play one position for now and then we’ll grow that out so eventually one day he’s playing 1 through 5 like Giannis does in Milwaukee.”

At 6-foot-11 and 235 pounds, Bagley has the size to play anywhere in the frontcourt. He might be athletic enough to play small forward as his defensive awareness improves. He has also shown the ball-handling ability to lead the break in grab-and-go situations.

“Whatever the team needs,” Bagley said. “Obviously, I’m capable of playing more than one position. I can play every position. I’m a player. I don’t have a position. I’m a positionless basketball player. Whatever the team needs, whether I’m playing the 5, the 4, the 3 – whatever they need – I’m going to adjust to it, learn it and do it.”

Related Dave Joerger: De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley the ‘Next Durant-Westbrook’

The post Luke Walton: Marvin Bagley Can Play Five Positions ‘Like Giannis’ appeared first on SLAM.

It was Joerger’s tortured attempt to clean up the mess he found himself in after heaping praise on Luka Doncic.

"When we drafted Marvin at 2, we were high-fiving like crazy. We got the right guy for us. This isn't going to be a story in 3 days and it'll be definitely buried 5 yrs from now when we have the next Durant-Westbrook. That's how good they're gonna be."

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) December 17, 2018

Joerger insists he wasn’t criticizing Sacramento’s front-office for not drafting Doncic this past summer.

Kings coach Dave Joerger on Luka Doncic comments: "All we were trying to do was say something positive about another team’s player." https://t.co/Qw7zPUNTIE

— Noel Harris (@SacBeeNoel) December 18, 2018

Per the Sac Bee:

“All we were trying to do was say something positive about another team’s player. There’s no veiled shots at anybody,” Joerger said. “De’Aaron (Fox) gushed about him and (Bogdan Bogdanovic) gushed about him and his ability. …

“It was all out of love and positivity, but people try to turn it into something between (Kings general manager) Vlade (Divac) and I,” Joerger said, adding how tight the two are.

Joerger was complimentary of Doncic before Sunday’s game in Dallas. The Slovenian forward was selected one pick after the Kings drafted Marvin Bagley III at No. 2 overall.

Related
Kings Coach Dave Joerger: Luka Doncic Has No Ceiling

The post Dave Joerger: De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley the ‘Next Durant-Westbrook’ appeared first on SLAM.

But for NBA teams, however, tonight is the culmination of years of preparation. Scouts, analytics experts, general managers, owners and other front office personnel have gathered in war rooms as commissioner Adam Silver calls the names of the latest inductees into the NBA family.

Through watching countless hours of game film, conducting extensive interviews, and holding a myriad of individual workouts, teams have assembled detailed profiles on each prospect—hoping to select a franchise-altering talent.

Tonight, future 15-year veterans, NBA All-Stars, and perhaps even a couple Hall of Famers, will cross the stage at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. These players will help shape the NBA landscape for years to come.

Let us know which team had the best draft in the comments!

2018 NBA Draft Full Results

1. Suns: DeAndre Ayton (C) – Arizona
2. Kings: Marvin Bagley (F) – Duke
3. Mavs (from Hawks): Luka Doncic (G) – Real Madrid
4. Grizzlies: Jaren Jackson Jr (F/C) – Michigan State
5. Hawks (from Mavs): Trae Young (G) – Oklahoma State
6. Magic: Mo Bamba (C) – Texas
7. Bulls: Wendell Carter (C) – Duke
8. Cavs (from Nets via Celtics): Collin Sexton (G) – Alabama
9. Knicks: Kevin Knox (F) – Kentucky
10. Suns (from Lakers via Sixers): Mikal Bridges (G/F) – Villanova
11. Clippers (via Hornets): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (G) – Kentucky
12. Hornets (from Pistons via Clippers): Miles Bridges (F) – Michigan State
13. Clippers: Jerome Robinson (G) – Boston College
14. Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr (F) – Missouri
15. Wizards: Troy Brown (G) – Oregon
16. Sixers (from Heat via Suns): Zhaire Smith (G) – Texas Tech
17. Bucks: Donte DiVincenzo (G) – Villanova
18. Spurs: Lonnie Walker (G) – Miami
19. Hawks (from Wolves): Kevin Huerter (G) – Maryland
20. Wolves (from Thunder via Jazz): Josh Okogie (G/F) – Georgia Tech
21. Jazz: Grayson Allen (G) – Duke
22. Bulls (from Pelicans): Chandler Hutchison (G/F) – Boise State
23. Pacers: Aaron Holiday (G) – UCLA
24. Blazers: Anfernee Simons (G) – IMG Academy
25. Lakers (from Cavs via Blazers, Cavs): Moe Wagner (F/C) – Michigan
26. Sixers: Landry Shamet (G) – Wichita State
27. Celtics: Robert Williams (F/C) – Texas A&M
28. Warriors: Jacob Evans (G/F) – Cincinnati
29. Nets: Dzanan Musa (F) – Bosnia and Herzegovina
30. Hawks (from Rockets via Clippers): Omari Spellman (F/C) – Villanova

Second Round

31. Suns: Elie Okobo (G) – France
32. Grizzlies: Jevon Carter (G) – West Virginia
33. Mavs: Jalen Brunson (G) – Villanova
34. Hornets (from Hawks): Devonte Graham (G) – Kansas
35. Magic: Melvin Frazier (G/F) – Tulane
36. Knicks (from Bulls via Thunder): Mitchell Robinson (C)
37. Blazers (from Kings): Gary Trent Jr (G) – Duke
38. Pistons (from Nets via Sixers): Khyri Thomas (G) – Creighton
39. Lakers (from Knicks via Sixers): Isaac Bonga (F) – Germany
40. Nets (from Lakers via Magic, Raptors): Rodions Kurucs (F) – Latvia
41. Nuggets (from Hornets via Magic, Grizzlies, Suns): Jarred Vanderbilt (F) – Kentucky
42. Pistons: Bruce Brown Jr (G) – Miami
43. Nuggets (from Clippers via Knicks): Justin Jackson (F) – Maryland
44. Wizards: Issuf Sanon (G) – Ukraine
45. Nets (from Bucks): Hamidou Diallo (G) – Kentucky
46. Rockets (from Heat via Grizzlies): De’Anthony Melton (G) – USC
47. Lakers (from Nuggets via Jazz, Bulls): Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (G) – Kansas
48. Wolves: Keita Bates-Diop (F) – Ohio State
49. Spurs: Chimezie Metu (F/C) – USC
50. Pacers: Alize Johnson (F) – Missouri State
51. Pelicans (from Bulls via Pelicans, Heat): Tony Carr (G) – Penn State
52. Rockets (from Jazz): Vince Edwards (F) – Purdue
53. Thunder: Devon Hall (G) – Virginia
54. Sixers (from Blazers via Mavs, Nuggets): Shake Milton (G) – SMU
55. Hornets (from Cavs via Nets, Sixers): Arnoldas Kulboka (F) – Lithuania
56. Mavs (from Sixers): Ray Spalding (F) – Louisville
57. Thunder (from Celtics): Kevin Hervey (F) – Texas Arlington
58. Nuggets (from Warriors): Thomas Welsh (C) – UCLA
59. Suns (from Raptors): George King (F) – Colorado
60. Mavs (from Rockets via Sixers): Kostas Antetokounmpo (F) – Dayton

RELATED:
Report: Sixers Discussed Markelle Fultz Package for Top-Five Pick

The post 2018 NBA Draft Picks: Complete Results 📈 appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: Phoenix (Arizona’s DeAndre Ayton) and Sacramento (Duke’s Marvin Bagley III) have locked in on the NBA Draft’s Nos. 1 and 2 picks.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 21, 2018

If this report holds to form, Ayton, who averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game at Arizona, would be heading to the Phoenix Suns. Bagley, who put up 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per contest at Duke, will play for the Sacramento Kings.

RELATED: Peep the Invite List for the 2018 NBA Draft Green Room

The post Report: Ayton and Bagley Going No. 1 and No. 2 in the NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

“I ‘aint playing games with ‘em, visionary flow. I’m tryna be a billionaire by 23, LeBron James.”

Check out the video above to listen to Bagley’s music debut.

RELATED: Andre Drummond Hops on Remix of Tyga and Offset’s ‘Taste’

The post Marvin Bagley Makes Rap Debut with ‘Thoughts in the A’ 🎶 appeared first on SLAM.

Ayton said he knows he’s doing something different, but that he and his family are “comfortable with our decision, very comfortable with our decision. We have no worries at all.”

Ayton could be the number one pick in this Thursday’s draft. The 7-1 big man averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds during his lone season at Arizona.

Bagley told Bleacher Report that he likes the idea of being different.

“I chose Puma because I wanted to be different. I saw an opportunity where I could come in and build from the jump and work to get to a certain level.”

While Bagley scoffs at the idea of chasing the money, and says this is part of a “vision” he has, Ayton admits it was a factor in signing with Puma.

“Nike is Nike,” he says. “Adidas is Adidas. I’ve played in their circuits and stuff like that, but now it’s a business. You don’t want just product. You’re not a kid anymore. You’re really trying to get bank. That’s about it.”

The last time PUMA had an endorser in the NBA was 1998, when Vince Carter wore the PUMA Cell Origin Mid.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkLMbVnHnWx/?hl=en&taken-by=slamkicks

Clyde Frazier, of course, is PUMA’s OG, getting his own kicks back in 1973.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkLHcQJA6KN/?hl=en&taken-by=leaguefits

Ayton and Bagley will unveil PUMA’s new basketball sneaker at an upcoming date.

“I tried it on, worked out in it a little bit, got some shots up and jogged around in it,” Bagley says. “It felt pretty good. It felt good around my feet. I’m very excited where it can get to. It’s a great shoe. It’s stylish. You can wear it on the court, and it looks like you can wear it off the court. It’s going to be a good shoe, and I’m excited for it to be released.”

“It was like a shoe that was mad comfortable,” Ayton says. “Usually when I try on a shoe, I have to wear my custom insoles in them. I didn’t really have to try any insoles to put them on or play in them.”

Both big men say that their signature sneakers are in the works, too.

They join Skylar Diggins-Smith, Rihanna, The Weeknd and first round draft prospect Zhaire Smith on Puma’s list of endorsers.

h/t Bleacher Report

The post Puma Signs Deandre Ayton to Endorsement Deal appeared first on SLAM.

The contract’s terms are unknown, but according to Krawczynski, the deal is “the largest rookie shoe deal since Kevin Durant.”

Marvin Bagley, projected to be one of the top picks in the NBA draft next week, is going to sign a five-year deal with Puma that is expected to be the largest rookie shoe deal since Kevin Durant, sources tell @TheAthletic

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) June 14, 2018

Puma reportedly met with former Oklahoma guard Trae Young last month, and has designs to sign more 2018 NBA draft prospects.

Puma is believed to be negotiating with other draft picks as well to jump into the NBA shoe game.

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) June 14, 2018

RELATED:
Report: Puma Is a ‘Wild Card’ To Sign Trae Young

The post Report: Marvin Bagley Signs 5-Year Deal with Puma appeared first on SLAM.

Notable prospects not attending include DeAndre Ayton and Luka Doncic, who are both vying to be the No. 1 overall pick, as well as Texas A&M center Robert Williams. Doncic is currently playing in the EuroLeague playoffs.

The combine will be held in Chicago from May 16-20.

Here’s the complete list, via Yahoo:

Rawle Alkins

Grayson Allen

Kostas Antetokounmpo

Udoka Azubuike

Marvin Bagley III

Mohamed Bamba

Jaylen Barford

Keita Bates-Diop

Tyus Battle

Brian Bowen II

Mikal Bridges

Miles Bridges

Bruce Brown Jr.

Troy Brown Jr.

Jalen Brunson

Tony Carr

Jevon Carter

Wendell Carter

Hamidou Diallo

Donte DiVincenzo

Trevon Duval

Jacob Evans

Bruno Fernando

Melvin Frazier Jr.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Devonte Graham

Devon Hall

Jaylen Hands

Kevin Hervey

Aaron Holiday

Kevin Huerter

Chandler Hutchison

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Justin Jackson

Alize Johnson

George King

Kevin Knox

Sagaba Konate

Caleb Martin

Cody Martin

Yante Maten

Brandon McCoy

De’Anthony Melton

Chimezie Metu

Shake Milton

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk

Malik Newman

Josh Okogie

Jontay Porter

Michael Porter Jr.

Billy Preston

Jerome Robinson

Mitchell Robinson

Collin Sexton

Landry Shamet

Anfernee Simons

Zhaire Smith

Omari Spellman

Khyri Thomas

Gary Trent Jr.

Allonzo Trier

Jarred Vanderbilt

Moritz Wagner

Lonnie Walker

PJ Washington

Austin Wiley

Kris Wilkes

Kenrich Williams

Trae Young

RELATED
NBA Exec: Bamba May Have Higher Upside Than Ayton

The post The Full 2018 NBA Draft Combine List 👀 appeared first on SLAM.

It takes only a minute for Allen—Duke’s captain, lone senior and only non-freshman starter—to begin ribbing the youngsters. As the jokes roll, the group breaks out in laughter and Trent Jr drapes his right arm around the fourth-year veteran in playful solidarity.

That’s what brothers do. They laugh together, they compete together, they fight together—sometimes with each other, but always for each other.

Duke’s brotherhood defines its program and goes back decades. The Brotherhood—yes, known as #TheBrotherhood on social media—is a relationship forged by bond, not blood, but it runs just as deep

“What The Brotherhood means to me is, simply, unity and togetherness,” Trent Jr tells SLAM. “Being part of something that’s bigger than yourself, fighting for someone other than yourself, just always looking out for the next man and your brother.”

“The Brotherhood is basically the bond that is Duke Basketball,” Allen says. “It’s former players from 20 years ago to guys now and to future commits. It’s the whole thing. You share a common experience of playing here, playing at Duke, playing for Coach.”

“Coach” is Mike Krzyzewski, the center of it all. The HOF bench boss, now in his 38th season at Duke, has amassed over 1,000 wins, five National Championships, 12 ACC regular season titles and 14 ACC Tournament crowns.

Hundreds of players have come through Coach K’s program, and this season alone there are 19 former Blue Devils on NBA rosters [20 if you include Boston’s Semi Ojeleye, who finished his collegiate career at SMU—Ed.], including Allen’s former teammate and roommate, Justise Winslow, a third-year forward with the Miami Heat.

Allen and Winslow remain tight until this day, forever linked by the 2015 National Championship banner hanging from Cameron’s rafters. Winslow attests that The Brotherhood extends all the way to the League.

“Everyone from the coaching staff, trainers, the entire Krzyzewski clan, Sam the chef and the players make it feel like a family,” Winslow says. “But, to be honest, I started feeling more a sense of The Brotherhood once I got to the League. Seeing guys on different teams, regardless of age, you know you can go and talk about anything, whether it’s Duke-related or not.”

Winslow makes it back to Durham on occasion and his presence has had an impact on Allen’s current roommate, Javin DeLaurier, a 6-10 sophomore forward from Shipman, VA. DeLaurier wears Winslow’s old number (12) and says the NBA forward and other former Duke players regularly give him tips on the college game and “life in general.”

“I think the thing most people don’t understand is that it’s all-inclusive and lifelong,” DeLaurier says. “Guys that played before I even picked up a basketball come back and treat me like we’ve known each other forever. I think that’s the most under-appreciated thing about it.”

On a wall behind Krzyzewski’s desk hangs a photo from February ’09 of Jon Scheyer and Gerald Henderson as they walk off the court at Maryland’s Comcast Center after a thrilling 78-67 win over the Terps.

The former Duke standouts are both smiling, Henderson’s left arm wrapped around Scheyer’s shoulder. It’s a specific time and situation, but it conjures up the image of Allen and Trent Jr’s own interaction during our photo shoot. Two guys with different stories, from contrasting backgrounds, bonding through Duke basketball.

Krzyzewski lauded the photo in a Duke Basketball video published before the season, “Gifts of the Game: Brotherhood.”

“The picture with Gerald Henderson and Jon Scheyer is one of my favorites because it’s really what I want every young man who plays for me to experience and that is the feeling of The Brotherhood,” Coach K says in the vid.

Scheyer, who helped Duke capture its fourth title in 2010, currently serves as an assistant coach for the Blue Devils. That’s no coincidence. All of Scheyer’s colleagues—Associate Head Coach Jeff Capel, Assistant Coach Nate James and Special Assistant Nolan Smith—have played for Krzyzewski. It’s culture by design.

This collection of former Duke players-turned-coaches help serve as connective tissue from past generations to the present. It provides a continuity that Krzyzewski’s current team is trying to learn. The 2017-18 Blue Devils are not your typical band of Duke brothers.

After losing four of his top five scorers at the end of last season—three to the NBA and one to graduation—Krzyzewski hauled in a heralded quartet of five-star freshmen, including two elite bigs in Bagley and Carter Jr, a ready-made scorer in Trent Jr, and Duval, an explosive PG to pair with Allen. All are likely one-and-done prospects.

Despite a dramatic loss in offensive production and experience, Duke and its reloaded roster entered the season No. 1 in the AP poll for the second consecutive year and ninth time overall.

The young Blue Devils matched early expectations by reeling off 11 straight wins to open the 2017-18 campaign, including notable victories over then No. 2 Michigan State at the Champions Classic and then No. 7 Florida in the championship game of the Phil Knight Invitational.

Bagley, a walking double-double who graced our SLAM 212 cover, became the first player in Duke history to register consecutive 30-point, 15-rebound outings. The 6-11 forward leads the ACC in scoring (21.4 ppg) and rebounding (11.2 rpg) and has already claimed six Conference Player of the Week honors.

Allen, the Jacksonville, FL, native and Final Four hero his freshman year, is having a solid senior season, averaging 14.5 ppg and a career-high 4.4 apg.

His backcourt mate, Duval, is chipping in 11 points per while doling out an ACC-best 6.0 dimes and has demonstrated the ability to take over games down the stretch. Fellow freshmen Trent Jr and Carter Jr have made immediate impacts, each averaging double digits on a nightly basis.

Through their first 23 contests, the Blue Devils are the only team ranked among the NCAA’s top 5 in scoring, rebounds and assists per game. True to its size and spirit, Duke is third in the nation in rebounding margin and first in offensive rebounding rate, claiming nearly 40 percent of its own misses.

But with youth comes challenges.

Due to sluggish starts, the team has trailed opponents at halftime in seven of its games, and Duke is ranked 69th in defensive efficiency while allowing an average of 79 points to ACC opponents. Defense requires trust and fluency in Krzyzewski’s detailed man-to-man principles. Both of those elements take time, and with four freshmen, they don’t have that time.

Duke came out flat at Boston College in their ACC opener, resulting in their first blemish of the season. Eagles guard Ky Bowman probed and poked holes in the defense all afternoon, running a pick-and-roll clinic to the tune of 30 points and 10 assists, while the team shot a blistering 57 percent from beyond the arc (15 for 27) to upset Coach K’s crew 89-84.

After taking care of business against Florida State at home, Duke gave up an alarming 96 points in a road loss to unranked rivals NC State, dropping the Blue Devils to 15-2 overall and 1-2 in ACC play, their second defeat in four games. Duke shot 51.7 percent from the floor but hit just 3 of 15 treys and never led in the second frame.

Following the loss, Duke went on to win six out of its next seven ACC games, but on an early February afternoon at Madison Square Garden, the Blue Devils fell 81-77 to St. John’s—losers of 11 straight up until that point. Following the game, Coach K was incensed, telling reporters after the game that his young team was “very frustrating group to coach” during the game and that the level of play was, “disgusting, really.”

In every loss there’s a lesson. And this Duke team is still learning.

“We hate losing, and we don’t want to accept it, and I feel as if all of us, we have a will to win,” Duval says. “Whenever we’re down, whenever we’re going through adversity, we always fight back and try to figure out a way to win.”

“We’re learning as a team and [Coach K is] learning as a coach about us individually,” Bagley says. “Everybody is still learning, and I feel like once everybody knows everyone more, we can take this to the next level.”

“I want to come every day and give my all to win a National Championship with this group of guys,” Bagley says.

Whether Duke cuts down nets in April depends on work, growth and some luck. What is known, however, is that no matter how far this team goes, wherever its players end up, and whenever someone is in need, they will always have Krzyzewski and The Brotherhood. That’s a given.

—

Peter Robert Casey is a washed-up Division-III JV point guard who occasionally writes about the game he loves. Follow his Twitter musings at @PRCdotwork.

Portraits by Jeremy M. Lange

The post Duke’s Brotherhood Goes Far Beyond the Basketball Court appeared first on SLAM.

The post Respect The Game Episode 76: Duke’s Dominance appeared first on SLAM.

Listen above or check us out on audioBoom, iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play.

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Respect The Game Episode 70: Spencer Dinwiddie
Respect The Game Episode 69: Stephon Marbury
Respect The Game Episode 68: Adrian ‘A-Butta’ Walton
Respect The Game Episode 67: Summer High School Hoops Roundup
Respect The Game Episode 66: ASAP Twelvyy
Respect The Game Episode 65: Kyle Anderson
Respect The Game Episode 64: D’Angelo Russell

The post Respect The Game Episode 73: SLAM 212 and College Basketball Scandal appeared first on SLAM.

You can read our cover stories on the rookies, MBIII and MPJ now, and stay tuned for plenty more dope content from the issue over the next few weeks. And rejoice—it’s almost that time…

READ OUR COVER STORY ON THE 2017-18 NBA ROOKIES 

READ OUR COVER STORY ON MICHAEL PORTER JR

READ OUR COVER STORY ON MARVIN BAGLEY III

The post Marvin Bagley III, Michael Porter Jr and NBA Rookies Cover SLAM 212! appeared first on SLAM.

“Head and shoulders above everyone else,” Bagley Jr says. “It was like, Wow, he might be really tall.”

That’s when Bagley Jr decided that Bagley III should probably get involved with sports—Junior had played college football at North Carolina A&T and then in the Arena Football League—and basketball made sense, for obvious reasons. “It takes height, sometimes,” Bagley Jr says. “It’s a good first step.”

The second step tends to be talent, and Bagley III had plenty of that, too. He kept growing—he never stopped being the tallest kid in his class—and he quickly accumulated skills to match the height. Those skills eventually earned him a scholarship to Duke University, where he’ll be the star of the most stacked NCAA roster in the nation this fall. The team also features top recruits Trevon Duval, Wendell Carter Jr and Gary Trent Jr, along with senior Grayson Allen. Bagley III is set to be either the best or second best player in the country, depending on your opinion of Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr, and is a lock to be a top 5 NBA draft pick in June of 2018.

“There’s a lot of eyes on me now,” Bagley III says minutes after wrapping up his first SLAM cover shoot at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium the morning of his freshman move-in day. “It’s exciting. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of—going to college and playing college basketball, being able to do what I love to do.”

Growing up, Bagley III never struggled to control the post, grab rebounds and generally just toss around smaller opponents. But Bagley Jr wanted his son to learn the entirety of the game, be it dribbling the ball up the floor or making the right pass. This became a bit of a source of contention for those who dealt with the family over the years, with countless coaches wanting to ride Bagley III to tournament wins by throwing him under the basket and dominating the competition, while Bagley Jr preferred his son develop a well-rounded style of play. “Some teams held me back, and that’s when my parents came in and we moved to a lot of different teams,” Bagley III says. “I can’t count how many teams I’ve been on.”

“In the beginning, we played for a lot of programs that played for trophies,” Bagley Jr says. “At a young age, you have to be aware about developing the kid. We left a lot of teams because that development wasn’t there.”

(Bagley Jr has always been his son’s guiding force. Even over the past year, at most of his son’s AAU and Drew League games, he was often spotted somewhere on the baseline holding a camcorder, documenting the action alongside members of the media who were credentialed to capture footage.)

When MBIII was in fifth grade, his pops founded Phoenix Phamily, and on his own AAU team he let his son learn the ins and outs of handling the rock. “I could have 50 turnovers, but my dad still trusted me to go out and play and push,” Bagley III says. “I’m thankful for that—that’s why I’m where I am today.”

It helped that Bagley Jr had some foresight on the evolution of the sport. With the traditional back-to-the-basket center fading away and “unicorns” like Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid and Kristaps Porzingis—athletic 7-footers who can play inside and out—taking over the center position over the past couple of years, Bagley III is next in line to carry that big man torch. But Bagley III’s inevitable ascension was put in motion before the aforementioned superstars exploded onto the scene. The soft-spoken Arizona native has been ranked top three (and usually No. 1) in his class since he was a freshman at Corona del Sol HS in Tempe, AZ.

That year at Corona del Sol, he averaged 19.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, leading the school to its fourth consecutive state championship. The following season, Bagley III left Corona del Sol for Hillcrest Prep, a basketball program where students take classes at Starshine Academy in Phoenix and spend hours upon hours honing their on-court craft. But mere months after the transfer, amidst a mild controversy in which Hillcrest’s academic status was in question and one of the team’s important games was pulled off ESPN, the family left Arizona for California, where they settled in Chatsworth, CA, so Bagley III and his younger brother Marcus could attend Sierra Canyon HS.

Sure, there’s a little bit of a theme of inconsistency here—with the many AAU programs Bagley III played in as a young child, and the multiple high schools he attended as a teen—but what remained consistent was, if we’re being honest, the only thing that truly mattered: a real commitment to the game of basketball. Over the years Bagley III kept getting better, and at no point did he come close to falling out of the HS prospect rankings. In fact, his grip on the top got tighter.

In 2016-17 at Sierra Canyon, a fully grown, 6-11 Bagley III averaged 24.9 points, 10.1 boards and 2.0 blocks per game, leading the school to the CIF Southern Section Open Division semifinals before the team was defeated by eventual state champions Bishop Montgomery. (Bagley III had 28 and 12 in the loss.) Chris Paul, Paul Pierce and Lamar Odom all attended Sierra Canyon games at some point during his tenure there, and he was named Gatorade State Player of the Year at the end of the ’16-17 season.

“He’s a freak,” says Andre Chevalier, who was an assistant coach at Sierra Canyon while Bagley III played there and will be the team’s head coach this coming season. “I don’t know what to say other than that. The combination of who he is doesn’t come along very often. He’s able to rebound it and dribble it, and he shoots it pretty good. There’s obviously things he needs to improve upon, but on the high school level, he was unstoppable.”

Chevalier also coached Bagley III on the AAU circuit a little bit, which is where he experienced the moment he realized this kid was playing on a different level than anyone else in his age group. In one tournament, Marvin caught a pass while running the baseline, rose up, spun for a complete 360, then soared toward the front of the rim and dunked it. “I was like, Did I just see what I just saw?” Chevalier says. “The freakishness of it—he couldn’t have thought about it. His instincts were just like, How do I get myself to the front of the rim? And he just caught it, did a 360 and dunked it.

“I was like, Good Lord Almighty.”

***

On that Tuesday in late August, minutes after he arrives on campus for move-in day, Marvin Bagley III and his family walk through Cameron en route to our cover shoot. Seemingly every person who bumps into Bagley III says the same thing, something like, “So you’re the guy we keep hearing about!” Kids ask for selfies and parents offer handshakes. Duke’s next superstar is officially present.

Just months ago, most in the college basketball scene couldn’t have guessed things were going to play out like this. Until August 14, Bagley III had technically only completed his junior year, with a full year of eligibility remaining before he could take off to college. But that night on SportsCenter, with a national audience watching, Bagley III announced that he was reclassifying and committing to Duke University.

It was yet another recruiting win for Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has pivoted his strategy to accept—and, well, pursue—the one-and-dones that Duke previously stayed away from. It helped that Bagley Jr grew up in the Durham area (though the fact that the family had been living in sunny California should’ve also given an edge to local USC and UCLA), and it doubly helped that Coach K told Bagley III he could wear his preferred No. 35, despite it being retired as Duke legend Danny Ferry’s former number.

“Hearing the coaches talk to me about how I play and how I could get on the court and fit in with the team, I feel like it was a great fit for me,” Bagley III says. He visited the school for the first time as a ninth grader, and had been back a couple times since then. “I just love the environment here—it’s a calm place, and I feel like I’m going to be around people who want to accomplish high goals like me, so there probably won’t be any distractions. Just a perfect fit for me.

“I want to win the National Championship,” he adds. “That’s the only reason I play—to win. That’s my main goal.”

It’ll be plenty interesting to see how Duke squeezes Bagley III into what was already an exciting roster—he’ll likely play a lot of minutes alongside Carter Jr, another talented big man with a very similar skillset. But there isn’t much reason to worry. Over the summer, Bagley III hooped in the Drew League, facing up against grown men such as current and former NBAers DeMar DeRozan, JaVale McGee, Julius Randle and Baron Davis. He dropped 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a contest against DeRozan, and put up an 18 and 20 performance in the league’s all-star game.

Of course one or two impressive performances during a summer league doesn’t exactly guarantee a long, fruitful career, but it’s hard to doubt Bagley III is on the right path, a path that began sometime around first grade and doesn’t appear to be coming to a halt anytime soon. NBA teams are eagerly waiting for his name to be available in 2018, and whichever team selects him next June will have a legion of fans eagerly waiting for him to hit the court. In the meantime, he’s got a season at Duke to show and prove to the few who might not be sold just yet.

“Every time I’m on the court, that’s on my mind: Be the best player you can be,” he says. “I put so much into this game that it’s hard for me to not want to do that. I work hard every day, and I just feel that I want to be the best at it. If you don’t want to be the best, then there’s no need to play.”

—

Adam Figman is the Editor-in-Chief of SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @afigman.

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson

Video by @VASHR

—

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Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Bagley averaged 24.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season at Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth, California. He hooped on numerous occasions at the famed LA-based pro-am tourney Drew League this past summer, posting 30 points against the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Baron Davis.

The post Duke Lands No. 1 HS Recruit Marvin Bagley III appeared first on SLAM.

More from CBS Sports:

Marvin Bagley III, the top-rated prospect in the Class of 2018, is exploring the possibility of reclassifying and enrolling in time to play college basketball this season, a source confirmed to CBS Sports on Friday.

 

A source insisted no decision has been finalized. But it does appear to be academically possible, the source said.

 

“You should probably ask CBS Sports; it seems like they know more than I know,” Bagley’s father, Marvin Bagley Jr., said to FanRagSports.com late Friday when asked if reclassifying s a possibility. “That’s my answer — ask CBS Sports.”

 

Bagley told reporters here at the Nike Peach Jam on Thursday that he plans to officially visit Duke next week — then Arizona and USC in some order. 

Last Friday, 247 Sports reported on the schools in the mix:

But the buzz is that hometown USC could be his desired destination as a potential 2017 recruit. Andy Enfield has been a familiar face at his games, but so have John Calipari and Sean Miller. In the end, though, Bagley’s recruitment has the feel of a Duke and USC showdown.

The post Report: Top 2018 Recruit Marvin Bagley III Considering Enrolling in College This Fall appeared first on SLAM.

Bagley put his game on full display at the Drew, showcasing a nice handle, and immense physical prowess. Expect to see and hear a lot more of Bagley as the summer heats up and he enters his senior season.

Video Courtesy of Ballisife

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The one controversial selection was Marvin Bagley’s Nike Phamily. Bagley, who many consider the top prospect in the Class of 2018, had a tough regular season this spring, with his team going 2-14 despite strong outings from the future All-American. Nonetheless, teh team received a surprising bid to Peach Jam. See below for the 2017 Peach Jam pool play from D1 Circuit:

The post 2017 Nike Peach Jam Field of 24 Announced appeared first on SLAM.

The comp was fierce throughout the weekend with coaches constantly glued to their phones and to the standings to see how their respective programs were shaping up. The playoff race led to spirited play and an unbelievable atmosphere. As opposed to normal AAU ball where guys were going for personal recognition, this stop on the EYBL circuit was about collecting W’s. As one can imagine, there was no shortage of elite talent that we”ll be watching in the league in two years ripping the rims off in SoCal.

We broke down the top underclassmen performers yesterday.

Here are a few of the top rising seniors who caught our eye:

Tre Jones, 6-2, PG, Howard Pulley (MN)

While Tyus Jones was busy stealing away minutes from Kris Dunn this year for the T’Wolves, his little brother Tre has quietly been making his case for the best lead guard in 2018. Having always played alongside Duke-bound scoring machine Gary Trent Jr., Tre tended to take the backseat and serve as more of a distributor. Not anymore. In his first few games of EYBL (he went down with an ankle injury), he showed off an impressive burst, great change of pace, and a simply automatic pull-up. While he doesn’t quite have the IQ of his big bro quite yet, he is already bigger and more athletic, leading us to believe he could easily be the second league bound member of the fam.

Marvin Bagley III, 6-11, PF, Phoenix Phamily (AZ)

Marvin Bagley III may have missed his entire sophomore season of high school hoops, but that didn’t effect his game at all. In fact, he came back even better. The uber talented power forward showed off a much improved back to the basket game, video game-esque athleticism, and the fluidity of a guard. Dropping 36 points in an upset W over Howard Pulley, the Phoenix native showed why he’s the front runner for top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Darius Bazley, 6-9, PF, MeanStreets (IL)

One of the more unique players of session 4, Darius Bazley showcased a vast array of skills that have made him one of the most sought after forwards in the nation. At every bit of 6-foot-9, the lanky rising senior handled the rock in the open court, made pinpoint passes in transition, and had no problem knocking down J’s out to the three point line. On D, he made his impact felt in the paint, using his crazy wingspan as an intimidator. Having watched the former Ohio State commit since he was running with OBC on the adidas circuit, the improvement and seemingly endless potential that has developed over the past few years make it scary to think how good Darius could become

Taeshon Cherry, 6-8, SF/PF, Oakland Soldiers (CA)

One of the more versatile forwards in the class, Taeshon Cherry has just continually gotten better since the first time that we saw him two years ago. The hybrid can shoot it out to the three, take big men off of the bounce, and has the versatility to lock down a ton of spots. That being said, it should come as no surprise that virtually every school in the PAC-12 has made Cherry a serious priority.

Coby White, 6-4, PG, CP3 All-Stars (NC)

North Carolina’s best player in the 2018 class proved that he can show out against people from outside of the Tar Heel state. The big lead guard made a number of aggressive takes to the rack, had some unbelievably creative finishes at the rim, and was simply a blur with his end to end speed. Already locked up to UNC, Coby definitely has the talent to be that next big time PG for Roy Williams.

Mitchell Serille, 6-7, PF, Houston Hoops (TX)

Though he didn’t put up monster numbers, Mitchell Seraille definitely brought that ‘it factor’ that every coach loves. He was a maniac on the glass, used his long arms to block a ton of shots, and straight punished the rim any time that he got the opportunity. The Yates forward still needs to improve on his skill level, but his crazy energy will not only make him a coach’s dream, but will land him at a legit college program.

The post Nike EYBL Session 4 – Top Seniors appeared first on SLAM.

Bagley III finished with 29 points and 17 rebounds, while Reddish posted 35 points and helped guide his team to victory.

Peep the highlights above.

Video courtesy of Ballislife.

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One: there’s lots of talented big men at the top of this group, like a lot—six of the top-10 prospects are listed at 6-9 or taller (eight of the 10 are 6-7 or taller). Second: Montverde Academy is where it’s at with the class. Three of the top seven players listed attend the Florida school, whose basketball program has won the national championship the past three years and whose alumni list include 2015 NBA Draftees D’Angelo Russell and Dakari Johnson.

We’ll continue to update the class rankings twice more through the season and expand to 25 by the spring.

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After simply dominating his freshman year at Corona Del Sol in Tempe, there was little more for Marvin III to prove at the local high school level. He led his squad to an undefeated record and state title while rarely facing players near his 6-11 stature. Spurning offers from national powers such as Findlay Prep to stay home for a year, the Bagley family wanted to give their son at least one year of the traditional high school experience.

“We wanted to give him a chance to have that normal high school experience with regular students, cafeterias, changing lockers, and all of that,” his father Marvin II told SLAM. “It was an easy decision [to attend Corona], especially with him being so young.”

At Hillcrest, Marvin III will be with his entire family. His father will be an assistant coach and his younger brother Marcus, a 6-5 eighth grader, will be playing right next to him on the varsity team. Hillcrest will play a national schedule that includes games against junior colleges and many of the nation’s elite high school programs. With Arizona Interscholastic Association bylaws not allowing middle schoolers to play varsity ball, the opportunity to play next to his baby bro was just too much to pass up.

“It was Marvin’s decision,” his father explained. “Marcus wanted to play and compete as an eighth grader, and Marvin wanted to play with him. It was a tough decision for him, but after discussing it and going through Hillcrest’s schedule, it just provided a great opportunity to continue to get better and play on the national level right at home.”

The post Five-Star 2018 Forward Marvin Bagley III Transfers To Hillcrest Hoops appeared first on SLAM.