Bronny James stays close to home with USC commitment
Luca Evans (LA Times) — One of the strangest, most-followed, yet secretive high school basketball recruiting journeys in recent memory is over. Bronny James is staying home.
James is widely expected by high school coaches to make an immediate impact at the college level.
After months of speculation, James announced Saturday on Instagram that he is committing to USC, just a few miles down the 110 Freeway from father LeBron James’ stomping grounds at Crypto.com Arena with the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s the next step toward the elder James’ expressed hope of playing in the NBA with his son.
After USC football’s rise to national power under coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Caleb Williams, the young James’ arrival will help transform USC basketball into possibly the most-watched college basketball program in the country. His commitment completes a gem of a recruiting class for coach Andy Enfield that includes No. 1-ranked point guard Isaiah Collier and power forward Arrinten Page from Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler as well as Charlotte (N.C.) Combine Academy guard Silas Demary Jr.
James, ranked the 33rd-best player in his class by 247Sports, was named a McDonald’s All-American after averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals last season.
James’ top three schools were USC, Ohio State and Oregon…
Each made sense for a different reason — USC was close to home, Ohio State was close to his birthplace and Oregon was close to Nike’s headquarters, which signed James to a name, image and likeness deal.
At the time, however, his recruitment was kept under wraps — even to interested programs. James’ only official visit was to Ohio State, and it was unclear if he’d received an offer from Oregon.
Despite James’ talent and his father’s expressed plan for an NBA path, the attention around his name had likely depressed his recruitment, according to West Coast recruiting expert Dinos Trigonis.
“When you’re a college coach, you’ll say, ‘Hey, this guy’s a good player’ … could be a good player [by] end of the first year,” Trigonis said. “But when you see all the other things that program would have to put up with, you make the decision, is it worth dealing with all the other stuff that goes on?”
Attention will follow James to USC, where he’ll compete with Collier and a large group of guards and wings vying for minutes. The path to playing time would’ve been simpler at Ohio State and Oregon, but James earned minutes as a freshman playing in all 34 games, alongside future pros and Div I recruits Ziaire Williams, Brandon Boston and Amari Bailey at Sierra Canyon.
“Eventually, when you get to the next level, most of the kids have been 1,500-point scorers … it boils down to making winning plays,” Temecula Rancho Christian High coach Ray Barefield said.
TrojanDailyBlog members — We always encourage you to add information, insight, divergent opinions, or new topics to the TDB which don’t necessarily pertain to any particular moderator post or member comment.
SUBSCRIBE HERE TO RECEIVE NOTICE OF NEW COMMENTS OR REPLIES.
Love the fact that USC just stuffed UCLA again for yet another NC (#5 on the sand), this time a three-peater, in the massively Trojan-dominated sport of Beach VB.
We really crushed the Bruins, and their illegitimate high hopes, over the weekend. They thought they had us, but not so fast.
I just read that Bronny may well attract other one and done players. It will mean a couple of kids may be forced to transfer out, but one site said that two of the top 10 players in this high school class were considering joining Bronny. Both are big men, one is 7’1″ who wants to play forward. If this team adds two bigs capable of playing forward, the team could be very good. Wouldn’t be something to win the Pac in both football and b-ball the year we leave! Did you see that LR added another quality DB transfer,… Read more »
Stewart’s a great guy and very fun to talk football with, especially because he has a way of getting to his points very quickly, and is a giant volume of info spreading across all of CFB.
He learned some of his skills at Northwestern’s journalism school, and has polished them ever since.
Not certain what the team will look like next year with its best players being all guards: the two one and done frosh, Kobe Johnson and Boogie Ellis. Johnson is 6-6 and can play a small forward, but how does this team defend against a team with two or three large and athletic forwards? Both frosh are going to play a lot (probably start) along with Ellis. Should be interesting but is a very unique line up.
USC with Bronny should attract media coverage.
Hopefully, this will increase interest in USC basketball.
Another big body or two may be needed in the front court.
Is Bronny James a one and done? Lebron turns 39 in December and is the oldest active player. Is he gonna hang on and make the Lakers draft his son so they can play together? Seems like a reach.
Such a unique situation.. Bronny’s view/future tied to his father’s future as well. There will be many Father-Son private conversations over the course of the season. USC basketball along with Andy’s use of young James will be in the national spot light every game….
Will the No. 26th player overall in the class of 2023, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, be ready to be one of the 60 drafted in the NBA next year? I guess if his dad gets the Lakers to draft him it won’t matter.
After months of speculation, James announced Saturday on Instagram that he is committing to USC, just a few miles down the 110 Freeway from father LeBron James’ stomping grounds at Crypto.com Arena with the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s the next step toward the elder James’ expressed hope of playing in the NBA with his son.
James’ top three schools were USC, Ohio State and Oregon…
Love the fact that USC just stuffed UCLA again for yet another NC (#5 on the sand), this time a three-peater, in the massively Trojan-dominated sport of Beach VB.
We really crushed the Bruins, and their illegitimate high hopes, over the weekend. They thought they had us, but not so fast.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1655281936120811520
I just read that Bronny may well attract other one and done players. It will mean a couple of kids may be forced to transfer out, but one site said that two of the top 10 players in this high school class were considering joining Bronny. Both are big men, one is 7’1″ who wants to play forward. If this team adds two bigs capable of playing forward, the team could be very good. Wouldn’t be something to win the Pac in both football and b-ball the year we leave! Did you see that LR added another quality DB transfer,… Read more »
Stewart’s a great guy and very fun to talk football with, especially because he has a way of getting to his points very quickly, and is a giant volume of info spreading across all of CFB.
He learned some of his skills at Northwestern’s journalism school, and has polished them ever since.
The Athletic— USC added star-power to its secondary with a commitment from Anquon Fegans, the No. 3-ranked safety in the Class of 2025, Sunday.
Fegans is a five-star recruit out of Thompson HS and ranks as the second-best prospect in Alabama, per the 247 Sports Composite.
He received 30 total offers, including rides from GA, ALA, MICH, OU and ORE.
Fegans is the Trojans’ first commitment to the Class of 2025.
theathletic.com
AMAZING !!!!! USC WBVB Women Of Troy wins. Historic Threepeats 3-2 over u c l a HUGE
USC was brilliant #3 pair plants the victory in the sand✌
Not certain what the team will look like next year with its best players being all guards: the two one and done frosh, Kobe Johnson and Boogie Ellis. Johnson is 6-6 and can play a small forward, but how does this team defend against a team with two or three large and athletic forwards? Both frosh are going to play a lot (probably start) along with Ellis. Should be interesting but is a very unique line up.
USC with Bronny should attract media coverage.
Hopefully, this will increase interest in USC basketball.
Another big body or two may be needed in the front court.
Is Bronny James a one and done? Lebron turns 39 in December and is the oldest active player. Is he gonna hang on and make the Lakers draft his son so they can play together? Seems like a reach.
I’m thinking Bronny views himself as a one-and-done. Not sure how many others do.
Such a unique situation.. Bronny’s view/future tied to his father’s future as well. There will be many Father-Son private conversations over the course of the season. USC basketball along with Andy’s use of young James will be in the national spot light every game….
I doubt Bronny stays more than one year. But hey if he leads us to a national championship in that one year, I’m not complaining.
Will the No. 26th player overall in the class of 2023, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, be ready to be one of the 60 drafted in the NBA next year? I guess if his dad gets the Lakers to draft him it won’t matter.