USC guard Bronny James is one of the biggest names in college basketball, thanks in large part to his famous father. Now, it appears that James will be somewhere other than USC.
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That's because he announced on Friday that's he declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. At the same time, he will be maintaining his college eligibility as he hits the transfer portal.
The purpose of all this is so that James can get NBA feedback in workouts for multiple teams before the draft, then find a new school of his choosing. One NBA executive told Hoops Wire that James is not yet ready to play in the NBA.
James, however, said he's at least going to test the waters.
"I've had a year with some ups and downs but all added to growth for me as a man, student and athlete," James wrote. "I've made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility, and will also be entering the NCAA transfer portal."
Where James plays next, though, is anybody's guess.
Former Arkansas coach Eric Musselman was just hired to replace Andy Enfield as USC coach, and Musselman does have some Northeast Ohio connections, just like James. He played at Brecksville High and is the son of former Cleveland Cavaliers coach and GM Bill Musselman. But it's too early to know if the hire will impact James' decision. It seems as if his mind is already made up.
Though again, there are no indications where James will play as a sophomore — although some suspect it could be Ohio State or Duquesne, which is coming off a run to the NCAA tournament.
Duquesne has plenty of connections to James' hometown of Akron, Ohio, with new coach Dru Joyce III being a high school teammate of LeBron James at St. Vincent-St. Mary. Joyce's father was the coach of those teams for their final two years and remains at the school today.
Also, Joyce is replacing Keith Dambrot, LeBron's high school coach for his first two seasons. LeBron sent the entire Duquesne team a pair of his signature Nike sneakers before they tipped off play in the NCAA tourney. He also offered support on social media, as well as praise for Dambrot, who's retiring.
Of course, all of that is speculation at this point, as Bronny hasn't given any indication of which way he's leaning.
He had a somewhat rocky start to his college career after going into cardiac arrest during a workout before the season. He finished with averages of 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists, shooting 36.6 percent from the field in 25 games played.
The Trojans ended up being one of college basketball's biggest disappointments, entering the year as a Top 25 team — before finishing with a 15-18 record and failing to qualify for postseason play.
