Marvin Bagley III commits to Duke, reclassifies to 2017

Marvin Bagley III, the top recruit in high school basketball, has committed to the Duke Blue Devils, and will reclassify to 2017, he announced Monday on ESPN.

Bagley was also considering the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins.

The 6-foot-11 point forward from Tempe — and former 2018 recruit — will likely make Duke the favorite to win the national championship, as he is regarded as a transcendent talent.

The Arizona Wildcats were once in the mix for Bagley, who was scheduled to officially visit in early August, but those plans were nixed and Bagley narrowed his list to Duke, USC, and UCLA.

Bagley committing to USC or UCLA would have made the Pac-12 significantly more interesting in the upcoming season, but now Arizona will most likely be seen as the overwhelming favorite to win the conference.

Prior to Bagley’s commitment, many considered Arizona to be the No. 1 team in the country, but Duke will likely take that title now that Bagley is in the fold.

Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire