Marvin Bagley Jr. has lived in the metro Phoenix area for over 20 years. He knows what Arizona State and its basketball program looked like under previous regimes which is why he’s deeply impressed with its current state. That aspect was resonated quite well with his son, Marcus, who announced his pledge to the Sun Devils on Monday morning.
“First of all, you have to see the direction that Bobby Hurley and his staff have this program going,” Bagley Jr. said. “It’s completely revolutionary. We saw this program at a different level when we lived here and when we came to officially visit with Marcus it didn’t even seem like the same place. You can feel the progress and the direction this program is going. It won’t be long until ASU is every year a top tier basketball program.
“You look at the university and they didn’t use to have Tempe town lake, the new tall buildings…it’s just a completely different and big-time vibe. We talked to the Athletic Director and other people who told us what their plans were and it’s amazing.
“It’s going to be very exciting getting in on the ground floor, and be a part of this basketball program.”
Bagley Jr. said that the ASU coaching staff’s interest in his son was always at a high and consistent level. He added that this approach laid a comfortable framework of communication between both sides which early on in the recruiting process created an even stronger sense of comfort with a college and a basketball team they were already deeply familiar with.
“I always tell kids that get recruited that you want to go to a place where you are wanted,” Bagley Jr. explained. “Don’t go to a place where you want to go to. There is a difference. During the recruiting process, coach Hurley and coach Burno always showed us that they wanted Marcus there. That was a major reason why Marcus chose that school.
“They were consistently interested in Marcus, sometimes a little too much, but that’s OK. I told Marcus ‘that’s a good thing’ and he should take it as a compliment, and he understood that.”
The Bagley family has also familiarized itself with the Sun Devil program under head coach Bobby Hurley, through Arizona State’s All-Pac 12 point guard, Remy Martin, who was a teammate of both Bagley brothers at Chatsworth, (Calif.) Sierra Canyon High School.
“We know how competitive Remy is and how good of a player he is,” Bagley Jr. said. “We know that Marcus is going to a team where he will play with talented guys, like Remy, and have a chance to win games which is the important part. It’s great that Marcus will have a familiar face to play with.
“I’ve spoken to Remy’s dad and we have been in touch, he’s even visited us is Sacramento. He obviously loves the school, but he never pressured us to have Marcus go there. Everybody’s journey is different. The overall direction is the biggest reason why Marcus chose ASU.”
Marcus Bagley is the brother of former Duke standout Marvin Bagley, who following his lone year with the Blue Devils was picked 2nd overall in the 2018 NBA Draft and currently plays for the Sacramento Kings. The younger Bagley moved with his family closer to his older brother and has been attending Sacramento (Calif.) Sheldon High School. As a junior there he averaged 19.9 points and 7.9 rebounds.
The four-star forward who handles the ball very well for a player his size has been lauded for being a deft wing scorer from both long and mid-range. Bagley is versatile enough to be effective both spotting up for a jump shot or penetrating the lane and has the potential to be a solid rebounder at the college level.
“We really like the style of play,” Bagley Jr. commented. “Bobby Hurley has some structure but he also lets the kids play up and down the floor. Marcus fits well in that type of scheme. He can handle the ball, he can shoot it, he has a high IQ…whatever the team needs to be successful I believe Marcus can contribute.”
Bagley Jr. admitted that the most challenging part of his son’s recruiting process was keeping the news away from his grandfather and Sun Devil great, Joe Caldwell. The former All-American and 1964 U.S. Olympic Team member has been a fixture at ASU home games, and starting next year will watch his alma mater with even greater interest.
“He was down here in Las Vegas with us last weekend,” Bagley Jr. remarked, “and the toughest part was keeping that news from him. When he found out about Marcus, he was so excited. It’s going to be great.
“He was going to go to Arizona State games anyway, no matter who played. Everybody that knows Joe knows that. But I think it will be just a little more special for him. He never tried to force his opinion on Marcus, he just sat back and enjoyed seeing his grandson be in the position that he’s in.
“Wherever Marcus was going to school, he was going to support him. It’s just happened that ASU was the best place for Marcus.”
Speaking of regular attendees at Wells Fargo Arena, Bagley Jr. stated that he and his family do plan to move back the valley once Marcus enrolls at ASU.
“We don’t know what the exact plans are right now,” Bagley Jr. noted, “but God willing best believe you’ll see us in Arizona and at Wells Fargo Arena quite a bit.”
