Marvin Bagley III announces he’s heading to Duke, but it won’t be in 2018

The Class of 2018’s top recruit, Marvin Bagley III, said late Monday on ESPN’s SportsCenter that he will play college basketball at Duke.

Except you won’t have to wait a year to watch him play.

Bagley’s announcement means the NCAA granted his request to reclassify to the Class of 2017, which also makes him eligible for the 2018 NBA draft. He becomes the seventh, and final recruit Duke will sign, after it lost seven players from the previous season to either transfer, the NBA draft or graduation.

Bagley, a 6-11, 230-pound power forward, who played for Sierra Canyon High School last year in Chatsworth, Calif., averaged 25.5 points and 14.7 rebounds per game on the Nike EBYL tour this summer, which concluded with the Peach Jam last month. He made his official visit to Duke shortly after the Peach Jam.

Bagley also visited Southern California and UCLA, who were also in contention for the top prospect.

Bagley, 18, announced his decision on ESPN’s SportsCenter. He was joined by his family.

“I had a good feeling there,” Bagley said. “Ever since they first offered me a scholarship in ninth grade, I’ve always liked Duke. It’s a special place. You have to be special to be a part of it.”

Said Marvin Bagley Jr. of his son’s decision: “His heart is in the Bull City, it’s in Durham.”

It’s been a good couple of days for Duke.

On Sunday, the school announced that its head coach, Mike Krzyzewski, had undergone a successful knee replacement surgery.

Later that evening, Tre Jones, the top point guard in the Class of 2018, announced that he was committing to Duke.

This story was originally published August 14, 2017 at 11:34 PM with the headline "Marvin Bagley III announces he’s heading to Duke, but it won’t be in 2018."