Fansided

Marvin Bagley III officially cleared to play for Duke in 2017-18

By Chris Stone

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 05: Marvin Bagley, Jr., the top high school recruit in the class of 2018, dunks the ball during a Drew League game at Los Angeles Southwest College on August 5th, 2017. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 05: Marvin Bagley, Jr., the top high school recruit in the class of 2018, dunks the ball during a Drew League game at Los Angeles Southwest College on August 5th, 2017. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Duke’s national title chances just go better as the NCAA has cleared Marvin Bagley III to play this season

Marvin Bagley III, the nation’s top recruit and potential No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, has been fully cleared by the NCAA’s Eligibility Center, according to the Duke Blue Devils’ Twitter account.

Bagley was originally a Class of 2018 recruit, but he decided to re-classify into the 2017 class and committed to the Blue Devils in order to make his way to the NBA sooner. That move was welcomed by Duke senior Grayson Allen and it’s easy to see why. Shortly after Bagley’s commitment to the Blue Devils, footage came out via his family’s Twitter account showing the 6-foot-11 big man playing a pick up game with current Duke players and other incoming freshmen.

Although just a scrimmage, the film showcases some of Bagley’s best attributes, including his athleticism, ability to occasionally knock down outside jumpers and a face up game that will be tough for opposing collegiate big men to handle.

Bagley won’t have to shoulder the full burden at Duke, either. The Blue Devils have the top ranked recruiting class in the country this season. 5-star prospects Trevon Duval and Gary Trent Jr. will bolster a backcourt in dire need of reinforcements after Luke Kennard’s departure to the NBA while Wendell Carter should join Bagley in forming one of the nation’s toughest frontcourts. Alex O’Connell, Jordan Tucker and Jordan Goldwire will provide the team with much needed depth as well.

Next: College basketball's potential preseason No. 1 teams

Even with Bagley in the fold, the Blue Devils are probably not the prohibitive favorite to win the 2018 national championship, but they’re close. Several teams certainly have an argument to be in the conversation. However, Bagley’s clearance may ultimately give Duke the strongest claim heading into the start of the 2017-18 season.