USC’s Bronny James Flashes Upside in Loss to Oregon State

Bronny James competed in his fifth collegiate contest Saturday night, and it seemed to be his best outing thus far.

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. 

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.