Yes we will be fine and the fact his AAU team has had some struggles shows he as a player is not capable of making a non contender into a contender. Still would love to have him.
I just have been paying attention to his recruitment and feel like he is as much up for grabs as always. This Duke crap started when CBS broke the story that he was seriously considering reclassifying and duke was where he was going to end up if he did and why cause duke is the only school at that point he had set up a visit with them as the story evolved his first 3 visits were announced Duke, Arizona USC. Poof the crystal ball started to change and the early favorite wasnt in his top 3 combine that with Bagley not getting an invite to U19 and his relationship with Cal must have soured is what guys like Myers and others use to base their new predictions off of.
Funny things is when rumors of a possible reclass started back a month before the CBS story broke every duke troll we got shot it down because at that time if he did reclass it looked like it would be UK. I feel like nothing has changed in his recruitment I feel like we are in the same place on his list we have always been. here is why
1 the media and gurus feel like UK being left off the first 3 visits and not having a visit scheduled means that he isnt favoring UK anymore. The left out truth is this both Bagley and his father both said he was still planning on visiting UK. His father went on to squash the duke must be the leader myth because of their position of getting the first visit by saying the first 3 visits were all logistics. They were At the peach jam and could drive to duke making it easy. Then the next 2 visits were also drivable visits out west close to home. It was simply the most easy way to handle it and that after these 3 then he would schedule UK and any other visits that will require a flight. The visits and the order of visits had nothing to do with favorite schools.
2 reason Cal invited some of his top targets to try out for U19 Bagley wasn't listed. Their are at least 2 articles out there that Bagley has never been a participant in any team USA event and but now all of a sudden it has some hidden meaning that he and cal were not as close as believed. This one right here isn't a negative towards UK but in my opinion it helps us and hurts duke. Of all the recent big time recruits duke has gotten all of them had ties to team USA Basketball. Tatum, Parker, Winslow, Carter and so on. K has been able to influence these kids as early as U16 not Bagley. He has never taken part. To me that hurts duke a lot.
3 the media looks at UK and says they are over crowded and MB3 wouldnt go there because of it. However Duke would be loaded as would Arizona. Odd UK brought in a guy at the 5 who although athletic and long and has some decent inside moves he is raw and learning offensively and was ranked around 15. Duke brought in top 5 player Carter. A big with inside out skills who wants to showcase his versatility. Arizons brings in top 2 Ayton another versatile big who has an inside outside game. Both guys are top 10 lottery guys who play the same way MB3 does. UK doesn't have that kind of guaranteed lottery guy according to the national media but we are the crowded Team lol
4 Finally The talk he will stay out west. I don't know if he will or won't. I have never read one interview or story saying one thing or another. I do know his dad had no problem putting him in a prep school known as a basketball mill and as soon as the school got in trouble he pulled him out and moved him to Cali. That move was a get him eligible and away from the problem school move not a homesick move but when u read stories about him switching schools that part seems to get left out.
Finally duke their staff are talkers they recruit negatively all the Knox to duke stuff was coming from them not the player. I think you got a staff at duke that brags and runs its mouth and a very tight lipped group at UK. So the media loves a talker so now duke leads on the crystal ball lol good luck with that.
Now I'm not saying we get MB3 I'm just saying reclass or not that our position with him hasn't changed. Now after all that I don't see anyway he goes to Zona with Ayton there. If he does go to duke it would make Duke start 4 freshman and a sr known to cause chemistry problems and drama not leadership. K struggled with far less youth last year. Throw in Allen me first player, Carter me first player and Bolden a guy convinced not to transfer with the guarantee of playing time and being the focal point. You can't start MB3 Carter and Bolden. That team would implode way worse than this past season. as fun as that would be to watch I dont think he goes there. Here are some quotes from MB3 during an interview with Rivals in May sounds like a UK/Cal kid to me.
"What do you think it'll come down to for you in choosing your school?'
"I just want to get better. Wherever I feel like that is, wherever I feel like I'm around good people, around people who push me every day and tell me what I need to hear and not what I want to hear, that's where I see myself."
"You're looking for someone who's going to push you along?"
"Yeah, yeah. Yes, sir."
Oh and this quote I had to add just for the benefit of the Kansas guy who has been posting. when asked about his list and going thru the pros and cons of the school he said this about Kansas
"Kansas I had to add cause it's a big-time school. You see the success that they've had with a lot of NBA guys. That's cool. It's a good program."
"I had to add" if you know how much influence his dad has on him you can read between the lines here Kansas was added for a name to fill out his list based on it all they are a distant 4th.
