(Photo: Brendan O’Keeffe/WCSN)
Rough water has been a common obstacle for Arizona State Men’s Basketball, as the program has encountered battles with COVID-19 and injuries, forcing the Sun Devils to try and correct the sails.
Arguably no Sun Devil has experienced as much adversity as sophomore forward Marcus Bagley, who has played only three games in 2021, never appearing in Pac-12 play. Then, the external noise and a complicated voyage through the NBA Draft and the transfer portal hindered his ability to develop. This offseason has allowed him to rehab and open his mind to year three being a new beginning for him at ASU.
“I’ve played 15 games in my first two years, so essentially, it’s a blank start for me,” Bagley said. “That’s how I want to approach it, just come in every day, put in the work, put the time in, and whatever stems from that, I accept.”
Bagley was a four-star recruit when he left high school, setting the expectation to go down the same path his brother Marvin – who was drafted second overall in the 2018 NBA Draft – path’s footsteps only added more weight to it. Injuries have taken away that spotlight, but it made him learn about his willpower. The Phoenix native has called his first two years “unlucky” but has taken time off the court to rehabilitate his mind.
“How to be resilient and a determined player,” Bagley said on what he has learned this offseason. “I went through a dark, dark time the last couple of years. So, just to see myself gradually get better, I’m super proud of myself, and I can’t wait to see what’s in front of me.”
The sophomore forward touched on how his diet and nutrition regimen isn’t drastically different and believed that he was taking the proper steps last year, but again, luck wasn’t on his side.
Bagley is determined to put “all the injuries, all the energy” behind him and focuses more on his development on the court. Decision-making with the ball and becoming a two-way threat has been his main priority heading into a season with many doubters in his corners.
“Absolutely, I got a lot to prove,” Bagley said. “We’re all hungry. All of us got a lot to prove—Guys like (sophomore guard) Frankie (Collins) from Michigan. We want to win. We all have the collective idea that if we do what we got to do, all the individual stuff will take care of itself. We’re just excited. We can’t wait to get out there.”
Before the start of the season, Bagley posted on his Instagram story a wall in the ASU locker room filled with media projections of the program finishing poorly in the Pac-12 and nationally, which has helped motivate and feed into that hunger Bagley described within him and his teammates.
“It’s kind of crazy to see how we practice together and seeing how [the media] project us in the Pac-12. Only we know what we can do because we see it every day,” Bagley said. “We got a lot of guys coming in that have played a lot of college basketball. We’re going to use that to our advantage.”
One of those guys coming to Tempe is a player Bagley already touched on in Collins, who, similar to Bagley, is starting a new beginning of his own. After deciding to leave Ann Arbor, Collins focused on finding a more significant role for himself but also settling into a program that shared his underdog mindset. When he sat down with head coach Bobby Hurley for the first time, Collins knew he had found the right place.
Doubters have pushed Bagley and Collins into working towards a new beginning for themselves. Negating their previous relationship dating back to their third-grade AAU team, the two have solidified a common admiration for one another because of their dedication to achieve their goals. Which has led them to take on the responsibility of being the leaders in early practices.
“[Bagley] is our glue guy,” Collins said. “He’s the guy that does everything right and leads by example. As long as he’s on the floor, we’ll be perfectly fine. He does all the little things. He takes charge in practice. I’m a leader, so if they seem to guard and dive on the floor for loose balls and take charges, same as Marcus if they see him doing that, then it’s going to influence everybody. It’s going to encourage everyone to do it.”
They take pride in the dirty work because they know it’ll be infectious on the roster and equate to success during the season. A notable contributor to that shift in play styles is Hurley and his lively personality. Collins credited Hurley’s energy during practice that has picked up the team’s intensity. The passion from Hurley has gravitated to Collins and Bagley to take charge and be “relentless” for 40 minutes when that whistle blows.
“That’s our identity,” Collins said on the word relentless. “Just being a dog. [Us] going out there, hard-nosed, do whatever it takes to win.”
Winning is the main objective for ASU, no matter who is doing the scoring. Collins and Bagley touched on how they aren’t worried about points total. Bagley highlighted that the only point total that matters is the teams.
The adversity the two endured in their early college career taught them humility and unselfishness. Understanding that team’s success is the only stat that matters at the final buzzer. They have to start fresh, get back to the fundamentals, and work hard to reach that point. Despite the program’s rigorous past, Bagely is hopeful for him and its future.
“We’re just going to compete. That’s number one. We’re going to play together, and you’ll see a connected team out there,” Bagley said. “We’ve got to continue to grow every day, put in the work, and we’ll be ready November 7th.”
