Arizona State forward Marcus Bagley withdrew from the 2021 NBA Draft on Wednesday and said he will remain in the NCAA transfer portal.
“I want to continue working on different parts of my game and improve my draft stock for next year’s draft,” he said in a statement posted on Twitter. “I’m looking forward to returning to college and having a big season.”
The 6-foot-8 Bagley was limited to 12 games (11 starts) during his 2020-21 freshman season with the Sun Devils due to calf and ankle injuries and averaged 10.8 points and 6.2 rebounds. He shot just 38.7 percent, including 34.7 from 3-point range.
Bagley is the younger brother of Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III, who was the second selection of the 2018 draft.
–Ohio guard Jason Preston told ESPN he will keep his name in the draft and sign with Roc Nation Sports for representation.
Preston reportedly had a strong performance at last month’s draft combine in Chicago and therefore decided to forego his final year of collegiate eligibility.
Preston was named first-team All-MAC and MAC Tournament MVP as he led the Bobcats to a conference title and a first-round NCAA upset of Virginia. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.5 steals per contest in 2020-21.
–Field Level Media