CHICAGO — At this point, uncommitted big man Marques Bolden is no stranger to national attention. At Tuesday’s McDonald’s All-American media day at the United Center, the elite prospect was mobbed by reporters and players alike.
Bolden says he still needs time to make a final decision, but it’s clear that whichever program he chooses will be getting a huge boost. The Class of 2016’s top big man won’t disclose anything this week, but the senior says he still plans on announcing before his birthday, April 17. Though his list hasn’t officially been cut down, Bolden named Kentucky, Duke and TCU as his top choices.
Bolden brushed off any talk of stress when asked about the media and player attention.
“I’m just trying to soak it all in,” he said. “I really wouldn’t say I’m stressed. It’s fun to me… and it really lets me know that all the hard work I put in is really paying off.”
Kentucky is one of the schools high on Bolden’s list, and members of UK’s class of 2016 let him know Tuesday that he should follow them to Lexington this fall.
Fellow big man Bam Adebayo shouted “Marques is going to Kentucky” during one of Bolden’s interviews and then stood next to him and stared at him as he fielded questions. Later, Bolden laughed as future Wildcat guard De’Aaron Fox tried to pull him into a group interview where all the new Kentucky commits were sitting.
Both Bolden and Fox are from Texas, and Bolden reiterated Tuesday that Fox is the player that’s been talking to him the most.
“I’ve been talking to him a lot [about] the chance to play together on a big stage, like the one Kentucky has,” said Bolden, who also spoke with Kentucky coach John Calipari last week.
When asked about the Wildcats’ wealth of big bodies, Bolden says he has wondered about the ability to coexist with Kentucky’s post players and effectively share minutes.
“I have thought about that a lot,” he said. “It’s crazy how many people they have, so that plays a factor in the decision.”
Bolden says he’s also talked to Jayson Tatum and Frank Jackson about Duke during the their time in Chicago. He admitted, however, that even though players from multiple teams have talked to him, most of the recruiting from his peers hasn’t been too intense.
“I feel like everyone’s pretty much been joking around,” Bolden said. “Like, we haven’t had that serious of a conversation about it yet.”
Like Josh Jackson, Bolden said comfort with a coaching staff will be a huge factor in his decision.
“I don’t want to go somewhere where I’m not really that comfortable talking to [the coaching staff] and being around them,” Bolden said.
Bolden said that’s an area that worries him about TCU. He called former head coach Trent Johnson’s firing “devastating,” and that he only talked to new head coach Jamie Dixon for about “five or six minutes.” That being said, Bolden said he still has a good relationship with some of the TCU staff that is staying in Fort Worth.
Along with hanging out with the other players and soaking in the attention, Bolden says he’ll embrace the big stage that comes with playing in Chicago.
“Playing on that court where the pros play, getting this opportunity to feel like a professional basketball player. That really means a lot to me.”
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