Coming off a year in which it had limited options in the post, Duke added another big man to its incoming recruiting class.
6-foot-11 center Marques Bolden committed to the Blue Devils at his high school in DeSoto, Texas, Thursday afternoon, becoming the fourth five-star recruit in Duke's incoming recruiting class. The big man was believed to be considering both Kentucky and TCU but opted to join the Blue Devils after a lengthy recruiting process that featured many delays in Bolden's announcement throughout the spring.
Marques Bolden has committed to Duke, he tells Scout | "I'm very excited." | Story: https://t.co/8kFUg8vMZO pic.twitter.com/iMjxZvRMyq
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) May 19, 2016
“We’re thrilled to add Marques to an outstanding incoming class,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a release. “In addition to his elite length and athleticism, he is a highly-skilled big man who can really score the ball. He runs the floor well, rebounds on both ends and blocks shots. Marques has tremendous potential and a bright future, and we’re excited to coach him at Duke.”
Bolden will join forwards Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles, Javin DeLaurier and Jack White as well as guard Frank Jackson in the Blue Devils' Class of 2016. The DeSoto, Texas, native is ranked 16th in the latest 2016 ESPN 100 and becomes the fourth Duke commit ranked in the top 20.
Bolden took the floor with Tatum and Jackson as a part of Team USA in the Nike Hoop Summit in early April, with Giles cheering from the bench as he continues to recover from a torn ACL. The center will now join a Blue Devil frontcourt that lost center Marshall Plumlee, but returns captain Amile Jefferson—who was granted a medical redshirt after fracturing his right foot in December—and rising sophomore Chase Jeter.
Although he stands at 6-foot-11 and is not the most explosive athlete, Bolden is considered to be mobile for his size and has a 7-foot-4 wingspan that makes him a menace defensively for opposing teams. The high school senior has a polished back-to-the-basket game and is adept at finishing near the rim with either hand.
With the commitment from Bolden, the Blue Devils will likely finish with the top recruiting class in the country for a third consecutive season.
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