Forward Marcus Bagley announced Wednesday that he will return to ASU men's basketball for his sophomore season.
Bagley initially declared for the 2021 NBA Draft on April 6 but didn't hire an agent, which gave him the flexibility to return to college after weighing his options.
"I want to continue working on different parts of my game and improve my draft stock for next year's draft," Bagley tweeted Wednesday. "I'm looking forward to returning to college and having a big season."
The 6-foot-8 forward played 12 games for ASU in 2020-21, averaging 10.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while playing 29.2 minutes per game. After putting up strong performances early last season, multiple injuries kept him off the court for much of Pac-12 play, only appearing in one game after Jan. 30.
According to Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, Bagley skipped scrimmages at June's NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Wasserman's latest mock draft, which was released Wednesday morning prior to Bagley withdrawing, projected him to be selected at No. 43.
Bagley will likely play a major role at forward for the team during the 2021-22 season. He will play alongside a host of newcomers in the frontcourt, including Enoch Boakye, Will Felton and Alonzo Gaffney, among others. He will also return to see familiar faces in Jalen Graham and Kimani Lawrence.
On Tuesday, former Sun Devil Remy Martin officially announced he will play the 2021-22 season at Kansas after exploring the NBA Draft process.
Reach the reporter at ltochter@asu.edu and follow @Leo_Toch on Twitter.
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