By SEAN BOCK
Duke freshman Marvin Bagley has officially declared for the NBA Draft, he announced on his Instagram Wednesday afternoon.
“I can’t believe the time has come for me to say this but I would like to announce that I will be declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft,” Bagley said in his post.
In his freshman year at Duke, Bagley averaged 21.2 points and 11.1 rebounds while being named ACC Player and Rookie of the Year. Bagley reclassified into the 2017 class in the summer and skipped his senior year of high school to join the Blue Devils this season.
“No freshman has done more in his freshman year than Marvin,” said head coach Mike Krzyzewski in a release. “He’s broken every record and he’s really represented us at the highest level. I’m proud of him because he came in late and he adapted at the highest level. We wish him well. He and his family have prepared him well for this move. He’s ready. I can only see great things happening for him.”
Bagley is the 12th Duke freshman to declare for the NBA Draft. He joins a group that includes Corey Maggette (1999), Luol Deng (2004), Kyrie Irving (2011), Austin Rivers (2012), Jabari Parker (2014), Tyus Jones (2015), Jahlil Okafor (2015), Justise Winslow (2015), Brandon Ingram (2016), Jayson Tatum (2017), and Harry Giles (2017).
In the latest ESPN NBA Mock Draft, Bagley is the No. 3 pick to the Memphis Grizzlies.
