Marvin Bagley III Sets Duke Freshman Record with 25 Points in Debut vs. Elon

Duke power forward Marvin Bagley III scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in his collegiate debut as the top-ranked Blue Devils scored a 97-68 victory over Elon on Friday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

Jeff Borzello of ESPN noted Bagley set a new Duke record for the most points scored by a freshman in a season-opening game.

The 18-year-old Arizona native was rated as a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He was originally a member of the 2018 group before reclassifying in August to join the Blue Devils for this season.

Bagley showcased his immense potential right out of the gate, albeit against an overmatched opponent in the Phoenix. He connected on 12 of his 18 shots from the field and also recorded a steal in 29 minutes.

The freshman did miss three of his four free-throw attempts and turned the ball over three times, but it was, for the most part, a highly successful arrival to the college ranks.

Duke Basketball passed along some of Bagley's postgame reaction:

Expectations are sky high, and Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski didn't downplay Bagley's upside in an interview with Evan Daniels of 247Sports this week, noting the forward has a "big future," though he's not sure if that will result in the newest Blue Devils star going first overall in the 2018 NBA draft quite yet.

"I don't think anyone can predict who will be number one because so much depends on trades and what people need but he will be in that conversation, there's no question about it," Coach K said. "He's got a big future. He won't be the player he will eventually be here at Duke but hopefully we can move him forward so that he's ready for the next step."

Bagley and the Blue Devils are right back in action Saturday night when they welcome Utah Valley to Cameron Indoor. The Wolverines can't be taken lightly after holding a nine-point halftime lead against No. 5 Kentucky on Friday in a 73-63 loss.

That said, the first major challenge for Duke's hyped freshman figures to come Tuesday night when the team goes up against No. 2 Michigan State in the Champions Classic.