Marvin Bagley, other Kentucky Basketball targets top 2018 recruiting rankings

The new Rivals recruiting rankings released Monday include several Kentucky Wildcats targets near the top of the rankings.

Marvin Bagley III was once again ranked at the top of the 2018 class. The 6’11 forward is one of only seven confirmed 2018 recruits to have a UK offer. Bagley has long been seen as the top player in the class and one of the top players in the country, regardless of class.

He will play his senior season in California and includes UK, Duke, Arizona, Kansas, UCLA, and USC on his list. Kentucky currently leads the Crystal Ball with 50 percent.

Second in the new Rivals rankings is forward Zion Williamson. The 6’7, 230 pound forward has made his name known throughout the internet with his highlight-reel dunks, but he also possesses a versatile skill set that makes him a popular target among the nation’s powerhouse programs.

Kentucky leads in Williamson’s Crystal Ball with 36 percent, followed by Duke at 27 percent.

Bol Bol, Cameron Reddish, and Romeo Langford round out the top five. Reddish and Langford just finished playing with the USA U19 squad with Calipari and by all accounts, seemed to have a good experience.

Reddish is likely between Duke and Kentucky, but being around Calipari and seeing how Cal could use him in nearly any spot on the floor likely helped Cal make up some ground on Coach K for Reddish’s services.

As for Langford, it is unknown where things stand with him. He has been very quiet in terms of his recruitment, but like Reddish, it’s hard to imagine his time with Cal at Team USA did anything but help Kentucky’s standing with the skilled guard.

For Bol, He didn’t make the cut for the U19 squad, which came as a surprise. It’s unknown how that affects UK’s recruitment of Bol, but Kentucky has been thought to be in good standing with Bol.

Other recruits of interest in the new Rivals rankings include (6) Jordan Brown, (7) Moses Brown, (10) Immanuel Quickley, (13) Naz Reid, (16) Louis King, (20) Quentin Grimes, and (21) Ayo Dosunmu.

In regard to the 2018 class, another storyline to keep an eye on is 2019 #1 R.J. Barrett. Barrett was a star in Team Canada’s win over Team USA by scoring 38 points. There is a ton of speculation that Barrett may reclassify to 2018.

If he does, he could immediately contend with Bagley for the #1 spot and will be a surefire top-five recruit. Right now, Duke leads Barrett’s Crystal Ball with 75 percent, but Kentucky is second with 25 percent.

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