Class-changer Bolden in no hurry
DESOTO, Texas -- The highest ranked senior big man in the Rivals150 who has yet to make a decision, five-star Marques Bolden remains the target of a heated recruiting battle.
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With the likes of Alabama, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and TCU giving chase, the 6-foot-10 center at DeSoto (Texas) High decided not to sign during college basketball's first signing period in mid-November.
Ranked No. 16 overall in the senior class, Bolden says that he simply isn't ready to make a choice and didn't want to rush it.
"I am still unsure and have a lot of doubts in my head," said Bolden. "Knowing I still had those doubts I didn't want to sign until I'm sure.
"I could really watch teams play more and see where I fit in. Also I could continue to talk to each staff and see what kind of relationship I can develop with them."
On Saturday, Bolden looked like somebody that everybody involved with will want to remain involved with. With assistants from Kansas and Oklahoma looking on he went for 23 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks while leading his team to a home win.
Showing off impressive footwork, great hands and soft touch, Bolden scored on an assortment of spins, fakes and made excellent use of his left hand.
After earlier official visits to Duke and Kentucky, Bolden checked out Kansas and Oklahoma in October. He visited Kansas in the fall of 2014 unofficially and he didn't notice a huge change in approach, just reinforcement of their message.
"Of course it's different because they can pay for stuff but they don't try to throw the official visitors over here and the unofficial visitors over there," said Bolden of Kansas. "It was different in a way but kind of the same. They just wanted me to know how they think I fit in their offense."
Oklahoma came after Kansas and Bolden enjoyed Norman.
"That visit went good," said Bolden. "I had a lot of fun on that visit and I learned a lot about Coach (Lon) Kruger and how he handles things up at Oklahoma, so that was good."
Though he has one more official visit available to him, Bolden doesn't think he'll need to use it. He also hinted that he has the current list of six cut down further inside his mind, he's just not ready to speak publicly about favorites. He's not feeling any pressure to make a choice despite the impact a yes or no from him could have on the future of those recruiting him.
"I'm not really trying to get it over with, but I have it down in my head to the schools that I'm really thinking about so I'm not really going through the eliminating process because I pretty much did that," said Bolden.
"I really don't try to put pressure on myself (to decide) or have somebody put that stress on me. I'm really trying to take it slow and day-by-day and not trying to think of me being a class changer."
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