Marques Bolden to be on ESPNU National Signing Day Show

It looks like the recruitment of Marques Bolden is getting close to a conclusion, though that doesn't appear to be coming before he departs for the Jordan Brand Classic later this week.

While there's no firm date yet for Bolden to make his decision, Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader and Next Cats is reporting that Bolden will be part of  ESPNU’s Signing Day Special program Wednesday.

However, Roberts also notes that Bolden is not going to make his decision on the show, but rather be a guest on it. That's good news for Kentucky, because if he makes his decision on the show, then all signs point to the Duke Blue Devils being the pick.

While the Kentucky Wildcats have made  a strong push for Bolden and were even at one time considered the favorites, Duke has surged into the lead over the past few months to the point it would now be an upset if Duke is not the pick.

As of now, Duke, Kentucky and TCU are the final three schools that Bolden is considering, though the Horned Frogs have never appeared to be a legitimate option. If Bolden does end up picking Duke, look for UK to make a strong push for five-star forward Jarrett Allen in the coming days and possibly weeks.

Here's an excerpt of Roberts' report:

Bolden is one of several high school basketball recruits and college coaches booked for the 90-minute show Wednesday, the first day of the late signing period. As of Tuesday evening, there was no indication that Bolden is planning to announce his college decision on the TV special, which starts at 5:30 p.m. He will be interviewed on the show.

Earlier Tuesday, the player’s father, Melvin Bolden, told the Herald-Leader that his son still did not have a specific date for his college announcement. Marques Bolden told the Herald-Leader at the McDonald’s All-American Game last month in Chicago that he planned to announce his decision no later than April 17, which is Sunday.

So Kentucky still has life in this recruitment.