Four-Star, 7-foot center Marcis Ponder down to 7 schools

Marcis Ponder, a four-star center in the 2026 class, has narrowed his list of schools down to seven. Moving forward, the 7-foot rising senior of
Gillion Basketball Academy (VA) will consider Cincinnati, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Miami, Providence, and Texas.

Ponder, a native of Miami, Florida, is ranked as the No. 71 overall player in the nation, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.

Prior to cutting his list down, Ponder also held offers from Memphis, Rutgers, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Kansas, Mississippi State, Georgetown, and others.

Commitment timeframe + what he’s looking for in a school

Of his finalists, Ponder has only completed one official visit — Providence. He doesn’t have any others scheduled currently but plans to set more up in the near future before making a decision before his senior season.

“Overall, I don’t currently have any solidified dates for any visits but we will have those soon. I plan to commit sometime in the fall before the season.”

Ponder knows what he wants in his future college program.

“In my honest opinion, facilities and school life are pretty much the same at majority of the high major schools, what makes the difference are the people running the programs. I’m the ultimate competitor, I feel like I have the highest motor in the country. I’m looking for a situation where I’m going to play as a freshman and also develop.”

Ponder describes his game

“I would describe my game as a big force,” Ponder told On3. “I use my strength and my big size to my advantage. I’m always the strongest guy on the court, so I have to use what I can to get my advantages. I watch a lot of Shaq, you know, big and strong players like that. I’ve reshaped my body over the past six months, I’m all the way down to 280 now, and that has helped me to be able to run the floor. My motor and my second effort are better now, too.”