Marvin Bagley InterviewBy: Evan Tomes

Marvin Bagley is widely considered as the top prospect in the 2018 high school class. His intriguing combination of athleticism, versatility, and natural talent puts him among the elite prospects in all of high school basketball. We got the chance to catch up with Bagley at the Nike Basketball Academy, here’s what he had to say.

NBADraft.net: What’s been your impression of the Academy so far?

Marvin Bagley: I love it. The competition is way high. Just doing the drills, it’s high intensity. We’re going hard, we’re going at each other, just playing our hardest. It’s been a great experience for me. We got an early workout this morning and it was a great experience for me for the first time to get the work in. I’m happy to be here, I’m blessed to be here.

NBADraft.net: Were the workouts different then something you’ve been a part of before?

Marvin Bagley: Yeah a little bit different. I would say the difference is the intensity of them; it’s more fast, it’s high paced. You don’t really get that much time off, so you got to keep going, got to keep pushing. I like that and I’ll get used to it.

NBADraft.net: To somebody who hasn’t seen you play before, how would you describe your game to them?

Marvin Bagley: I would say I’m an unselfish player. I play for the team and whatever the coach wants me to do, I’m willing to do it. I would say I’m just an overall player, inside and out, just play the game the right way.

NBADraft.net: How would you say you’ve improved since last playing high school ball at Corona Del Sol?

Marvin Bagley: I think I got stronger, way stronger since last year. My communication on the court has gotten a little bit better and that’s something I still want to work on. That’s something I still want to work on but it’s coming along and I’m just focused on that right now.

NBADraft.net: Is there anybody you base your game off of?

Marvin Bagley: Yeah I watch a lot of guys. I watch KD. I watched Brandon Ingram in college. I watch college and NBA guys, I try to take little things from them and put it in my game.

NBADraft.net: What position do you see yourself ultimately, a three or four?

Marvin Bagley: Wherever coach needs me. I can’t really control it now because I don’t know what the team will look like if I did go to the NBA, so I just want to go play and wherever coach says he needs me, I’ll work on anything specific to go out and do what he needs me to do.

NBADraft.net: Has your grandfather, Jumpin’ Joe Caldwell, been a big influence on your basketball career?

Marvin Bagley: Yeah, he’s taught me a lot ever since I was little. We lived with him for a couple of years and he would just go to the back yard and he would show me a little footwork and little things; hook shots, like the right footwork to go up with the hook shot and block defenders, little stuff like that. So he’s been a big part of it.

NBADraft.net: Is there anything you want to add to your game or improve upon as you progress through high school?

Marvin Bagley: I want to add a lot of things. I want to work on everything. I haven’t really had time to sit down and think about it yet but I watch film on NBA guys and sometimes on myself to see if I made a mistake, what I could’ve done better and what I need to do in the next situation I get in like that so I just try to focus on that.

NBADraft.net: Who’s been the most difficult opponent you’ve ever faced?

Marvin Bagley: Most difficult opponent I’ve ever faced…I would have to say Michael Porter. He just drives the ball. He just doesn’t stand still. He’s a great player. It was tough guarding him but I love playing against high competition like that. I would say he’s the hardest player.

NBADraft.net: What are some goals you want to accomplish throughout high school?

Marvin Bagley: I want to win as many state championships as I can before I leave high school; that’s the main goal, to win it for my team and that’s to do whatever I can to help us get back to where we were last year, maybe even farther.

NBADraft.net: What’s been your biggest basketball moment so far?

Marvin Bagley: My biggest moment…I would say winning the state championship at Corona Del Sol last year. That was my first championship and as soon as the buzzer went off, it was an unbelievable feeling and I couldn’t believe we won. Even though it was a blowout, I couldn’t believe that was my first ring and I was just excited about it, it does make me want to go and get more.

NBADraft.net: How’s your recruiting coming along?

Marvin Bagley: It’s not really doing anything right now. I cut my list down and not much has happened since then. I talked to some of the coaches but it’s not really anything I’m rushing to get into right now.

NBADraft.net: How important is playing college ball? Would you consider other options?

Marvin Bagley: I definitely want to go to college. There’s people saying “will he go overseas?” and all this nonsense stuff about that but I definitely want to go to college just to clear all that up. That’s something I’ve been dreaming of and I want to get that experience. I think it will help me grow as a person and as a basketball player too.

NBADraft.net: What would be more important for you, a gold medal or NBA Championship?

Marvin Bagley: NBA Championships is what makes you great, makes you in the conversation to be one of the greatest and that’s something I want to be. When it’s all said and done, I want to be one of the greatest basketball players to ever play. God willing but that’s something I want to do and championships, that’s something I would say you have to have to be considered one of the best.

NBADraft.net: Many consider you to be the top player in the 2018 class. What is it that you think separates you from the rest of the class?

Marvin Bagley: I just try to work hard. I just try to mesh my work ethic with my dreams and one day they’ll come true. I just put the work in and I just love the game so much. I don’t want to be slacking on my workouts because I know there’s somebody out there that’s getting better every single day, so I just want to keep pushing and keep going.

NBADraft.net: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Marvin Bagley: Wherever God puts me. I just pray about that every night before I go to sleep. I take time out to thank Him first of all for me being here in this position and I just ask Him to lead me to wherever He wants me to go and I’m just following His footsteps.