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A month ago, I tried to write a blog post about Bronny James and Mikey Williams (Bronny’s former AAU teammate) and their recruitments. I could not find any information about James, who despite being LeBron’s son, was not getting that much buzz on recruitment sites.
But, in the last month, five schools have emerged with interest in Bronny. According to an sbnation report, the interest comes from schools such as Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, and USC. He will not play in the NBA G-League, Overtime Elite, or any other pro league before entering the NBA Draft after he becomes eligible according to multiple reports.
Michigan
At first when I looked at this option for Bronny, I questioned why he would ever end up in Ann Arbor. LeBron James always said that if he went to college it would’ve been at Ohio State, Michigan’s main rival. But, a former teammate of LeBron’s (on the Miami Heat), Juwan Howard, is the head coach of the Wolverines. I can’t see James not going there for that reason alone, but this does not seem like Bronny’s landing spot.
Ohio State
Any team would love to have the son of LeBron James but if Bronny ended up in Columbus at Ohio State, he would be the proudest dad on the planet. As I mentioned above, LeBron said he would have attended OSU had he gone to college instead of going to the NBA. This might be the most likely option for James outside of the Pac-12 schools because of that very reason. James also went to an Ohio State football game with his dad, and the fans shouted “We want Bronny” making their want for Bronny a program and fan thing. (Bronny has since visited Ohio State).
Oregon
With Nike headquarters in Eugene and Dana Altman, arguably the top coach in the Pac-12, no one would blame Bronny if he headed up northwest from his LA area home. Altman loves guards that play well on and off the ball, and James fits that mold.
UCLA and USC
I grouped these two schools together just because they bring very similar options. UCLA has won 11 national championships and give Bronny an option to stay close to his family. UCLA coach Mick Cronin has already led the Bruins to back to back NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2021, the Bruins appeared in the Final Four and last season they made it to the Sweet 16. For USC, coach Andy Enfield has been a model of consistency. The Trojans too have made runs in the NCAA Tournament back to back seasons. James would be a good fit both places because of his basketball IQ and willingness to play both guard spots.
As of now, my prediction stays with Ohio State for Bronny. Duke and Memphis have also been showing Bronny interest, and there is a likelihood that both schools will get as involved with Bronny as the above five have.
(Memphis has since reportedly offered Bronny a scholarship and Duke and North Carolina have continued to show interest).
