USC’s Bronny James Flashes Upside in Loss to Oregon State
As USC guard Bronny James made his NCAA debut on Dec. 10 — after being cleared to play by doctors due to his cardiac arrest incident in July — it gave a convincing glimpse as to what the young, 6-foot-4 freshman could offer.
In his 17 minutes against Long Beach State, he was all over the stat sheet.
Three rebounds, two assists, a block and two steals, as well as four points with a 3-pointer, displayed the role James might embrace at USC — and the role that could eventually land him a spot in the NBA.
A well-rounded defender, outstanding athleticism and a strong fundamental understanding of the game, James’ progression as both a translatable scorer and outside shooter will have a large play into where he ends up draft wise.
And he played assertively, bolstering that sentiment in an 86-70 loss to the Oregon State Beavers on Saturday night.
A number of highs were broken in this one for James in his young career, as the 19-year-old saw 20 minutes on the night to score 15 points on 6-of-11 from the field — two of those makes coming from beyond the arc.
He also added three assists — the most of his five games played — and a steal.
Most notably in James’ season-high 15 points was his decision-making in transition.
With plenty of his scores branching from his on-ball defensive pressure and length, running out on the break was immense in his production.
His agility and athleticism saw him rise up for both a difficult and-one and a one-hand tomahawk — showing his ability to absorb contact and balance in mid-air.
We know of James’ high-rising ability on the break, though in a league of players like the NBA with twitchy anticipation, unmatched size and wingspan — decision-making in those instances will be the most important aspect of his development and projection.
And he did show that too, sharing the rock effectively without committing a single turnover.
His half-court presence was solid as well with his two treys — one off the catch and the other set up from a pump, drive and snatch back.
James’ versatility is beginning to truly show itself, and as he continues to grow along with a peer like Isaiah Collier, it’ll be interesting to witness his freshman season unfold.
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