Peach Jam: Addressing Marvin Bagley rumors, observations

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. -- As dominant as 2018's No. 1 player Marvin Bagley III was on the court during Friday's action at the Peach Jam, rumors about possible reclassification were the talk of the day. Bagley's father addressed the rumor Friday night - see the latest on that and plenty more from the event.

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Marvin Bagley III easily backed up his status as the top player in the class of 2018 at Nike's Peach Jam. It culminated with a dominant 30-point outing on Friday night, but it wasn't Bagley's dominant play that had everybody talking, it was the reports of rumors that he could enroll at a college -- his finalists are Arizona, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA and USC -- for the 2017-18 season.

The rumors have actually been around for a while, and Rivals.com discussed them with Bagley's father, Marvin, during the winter. He brushed them off then, and when we caught up with him on Friday night, he kept things short and to the point.

"Ask the guy who started the rumor," Bagley told Rivals.com when asked about his son moving to 2017. "He obviously knows more about it than we do."

So, the rumors are out there and they are being talked about and Bagley's family is saying they've not made any kind of decision.

We have to take a player and his family's word for things, so it's full steam ahead considering Bagley as a 2018 prospect. On top of that, we do know that Bagley has a visit to Duke coming up and that he said at the Peach Jam that Arizona and USC visits will be set up.

As long as R.J. Barrett is in the class of 2019, he is likely going to be the top player. It's certainly not debatable now, but if Barrett were to head to 2018 as has been rumored for a while, then James Wiseman could make a run at No. 1. At least when the 6-foot-10 power forward plays like he did on Friday night he can.

A fluid and long lefty who can really run the floor, Wiseman did it all in a 20-point, six-block and five-rebound effort. He was all over the place and is starting to realize the potential that already has him ranked No. 4 overall in 2019.

Arizona, Kansas, Indiana, Florida, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Illinois, Iowa and Oklahoma State have already offered, and Wiseman has also started to draw heavy attention from Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina as he proves to be a truly elite prospect.

Each year there is a guy who sees his recruitment skyrocket as a result of his Peach Jam play. Three-star forward Jericole Hellems of Brad Beal Elite is looking like that guy in 2017.

Indiana offered the St. Louis product during the winter, but that was under Tom Crean. Tulsa was also in early with an offer. Outside of that, the bulk of Hellems' attention has come thanks to knocking down a bunch of shots and being productive.

Illinois, Georgia Tech, Boston College, UMass, Kansas State have now all offered, and Missouri and N.C. State are among the many others looking to get involved. Look for him to be very popular the rest of the month.

One of the most intriguing players at the Peach Jam, regardless of class, is 2019's Carl Lewis.

Already ranked in the top 50, the 6-foot-9 center for Paul Pierce's The Truth 16U squad has serious physical tools. Physically, he looks like a young Demarcus Cousins, and he plays with some of the same nastiness. He's very athletic and he has some skill that would be surprising for any young big man prospect.

Once he figures it all out, he's a kid who can rocket up the rankings. Frankly, we didn't rank him high enough in his class. USC has offered, but most of the Pac-12 was watching him on Friday, and he has the talent to play just about anywhere in the country.

Maybe the best post defender in the class of 2018 is Rivals150 post Dimon Carrigan. A class of 2017 kid who is headed to prep school, the BABC standout listed offers from Texas, UConn, Miami, Houston, DePaul and UMass. Carrigan also said that he has locked in official visits for UConn (Sept. 8) and Houston (Sept. 23). He hails from new Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing's high school and is a big-time shot blocker, but said that he has yet to hear from the Hoyas.

In the updated rankings, Oakland Soldiers point guard James Akinjo just missed making the 2018 Rivals150. Play like he's had at the Peach Jam could make it tough to keep him out. The six-footer has scored, he's created, and he has led his team to the quarterfinals. It's been a great week for him. California offered during the spring and so did UConn; he has the attention of many more coaches now.

During an overtime win in a 16U game, class of 2020 combo guard Cameron Thomas of Boo Williams was sensational in a 41-point effort. An off-the-dribble scorer with skill and a well-developed mid-range game, he's certainly one to watch. Also playing well for Boo Williams was 2019 small forward Michael Christmas. A pogo stick athlete with long arms and a solid 6-foot-6 frame, he seemed to be all over the glass, making lots of important plays at the rim. St. Louis and Texas Tech have made early offers.

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim has to love that he gets to watch his son Buddy Boeheim play for the Albany City Rocks. On top of that, his kid can play the game well. A 6-foot-5 wing, Boeheim is a sharp shooter with deep range and some all-around game. He's headed to Wolfeboro (N.H.) Brewster Prep for his senior year, and it's not a stretch to see him eventually playing for his father in college.