Can Bagley’s brother exhibit same success that Marvin has already shown us?

he’d have played with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s grandsons, Joey and Michael Savarino.

The Bagley family picked Ravenscroft, where Kevin Billerman, who played at Duke and later coached Division I basketball at Florida Atlantic, runs a solid basketball program. When practices began in October 2017, Marcus took the court with other varsity hopefuls. The 6-7 sophomore displayed a nice shooting touch and ball-handling skills, impressing his potential Ravens teammates.

But Marcus Bagley would never play for Billerman. Three days into tryouts, the Ravenscroft coach received a text message from Marvin Bagley Jr., Marcus and Marvin’s father.

“They decided not to play high school basketball last season,” Billerman said. “Marcus was a real nice young man. In the days he tried out, he did well. He was a great team player.

“I guess it was a family decision.”

When asked why he didn’t play at Ravenscroft, Marcus said a knee injury was partly to blame. But he added that he “could have played” and that he missed being part of a team.

“I’ve seen a lot of kids blowing up in high school ball,” Marcus Bagley told The News & Observer in May. “It was tough. Everybody would come to school, talking about the game last night. But, well, it is what it is.”

After the decision to skip his sophomore year of high school basketball, Marcus Bagley embarked on a basketball odyssey not unlike the one taken by his older brother. Along the way, he played for his father’s Nikesponsored AAU team just like Marvin III, only to be sidetracked by Marvin III’S decision to sign an endorsement deal with rival apparel firm Puma.

Marcus landed this summer Sacramento Kings forward Harry Giles III, forward Marvin Bagley III and forward Justin Jackson listen to instruction before tipoff as the Sacramento Kings hosted the Golden State Warriors in the California Classic summer league game at the Golden 1 Center on July 3 in Sacramento.

at Sheldon High School in Sacramento, according to the Sacramento Bee, where his family moved after Marvin III was drafted No. 2 overall by the Sacramento Kings.

Such is the Bagley family story, a tale of jumps from high school to high school combined with deep connections to summer basketball leagues sponsored by major shoe companies.

But this is also the tale of youth basketball, where youngsters are

recruited by programs sponsored by billion-dollar apparel firms, sports agents, major universities and, if they are lucky enough to make the NBA, signed to milliondollar endorsement deals by those same apparel companies.

Marvin Bagley III made it to the NBA after playing for his father’s Nike-sponsored team, several high schools and one year at Duke. Marcus Bagley’s basketball path may turn out to be even more complex.