USC Basketball: Where Bronny James Ranks Among Transfer Portal Options
Soon-to-be-ex USC Trojans freshman combo guard Bronny James, recruited by Andy Enfield to the Cardinal and Gold last year as a four-star prospect out of Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, is not particularly well-regarded on Sam Vecenie of The Athletic's latest ranking of the top transfer portal prospects this cycle.
Vecenie lists the 6'4" guard, son of Los Angeles Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James, as his No. 100 best transfer option. Considering James has also declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility, this is not exactly a ringing endorsement from Vecenie on his ceiling.
"If Bronny James stays in college and transfers to a high-major school, I expect him to be more of a role player than a star next season," Vecenie reveals. "He's not the first round, one-and-done prospect that some expected before his cardiac arrest last summer. But he could at least be a valuable college player as soon as next season."
"James projects as a 3-and-D guard who plays hard, makes good decisions on offense, does the little things, passes well, leads the fast break off defensive rebounds, fills transition lanes and attacks the rim when he gets a chance," Vecenie continues. "He is a terrific defensive player who really fights at the point-of-attack and has the length and foot speed to stick with most guards. He has good hands and is strong enough to stop defenders' drives in their tracks. Plus, he's a sharp team defender with great feel for the game."
"James' offense is a work in progress," Vecenie offers. "He's not a particularly high-level ballhandler, and needs time to develop into one considering his 6-foot-3 size. He struggled to generate any halfcourt paint touches this year, and isn't much of a pull-up shooter yet. He made only 27 percent of his 3s last season, though he looked more confident taking them at USC and has more shooting talent than his percentage shows.
James was not the hyperathletic stud some were expecting he would look like at the NCAA level right out of the gate. His offense even beyond the shooting wasn't particularly pretty. In 25 games, he averaged 4.8 points on .366/.267/.676 shooting splits, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
"It will take time if his goal is to be an NBA-level player," Vecenie concludes. "But if James stays in school, gets a clear offseason to hone in on his game and find the right context with dynamic shot creators next to him, he could make a big leap next season."
