Bronny James’ Shaky College Career – A Worry For 19YO or Just a Phase before Sparkling Future?

This is the end. That’s what most critics opine about Bronny James. The University of Southern California Trojans star had an abysmal performance in the NCAA 2023-24 season. But while he debuted late since he was recovering from a cardiac arrest incident in July, fans anticipated him to go all guns blazing.

The Prince’s performances however have been far from what was expected coming into this season. King Bron’s son has potted nil points in two of his crucial matches.

Bronny’s initial games

His debut game against the Long Beach State saw the 19-year-old scoring a paltry four points in the 16 minutes he played for his team. He also didn’t get many shooting opportunities as he basketed 1-for-3 field goals and three-pointers and 1-for-2 free throws. This clearly showed that the Trojans had no intention of making him the alpha of the team.

In his next game against the Auburn Tigers, Bronny potted only five points. He was allowed only 14 minutes on the court and he responded by nabbing 2 rebounds. In this game too his shooting tally was poor as he missed both his three-pointer chances. The Bronny fans had seen in high school was nowhere to be found. He continued his string of weak performances continued in the next game against the Alabama State Hornets as he could only score 6 points. This time he grabbed 3 rebounds. Again he got very few chances of shooting that he missed for the most part.

James Jr. was finding it difficult to adjust the college basketball level. His initial performances were ignored by critics because he was new to the Trojans’ set up. In his fourth game against the Oregon Ducks he scored 5 points. However, things improved in his next match against the Oregon State Beavers since he basketed a season-high 15 points.

Read More: With Kansas Stumbling Out, Can Purdue Maintain Number 1 NCAA Status?

This time he got more shooting chances and had a 54.5% field goal percentage. With this game, it looked as if his worrisome time was over and he had announced his coming on the big stage. He looked to have adjusted to the Trojans. But what happened next changed how fans viewed him.

A String of Poor Performances

Bronny’s next performance against the California Golden Bears drew flak because he could only drop 10 points. But what fans failed to notice was their rising star only got 18 minutes in the game, and Bronny had made the best possible utilization of that time. This time he had a cent percent free throw percentage and a 66.7% field goal percentage. He could pot any three-pointers but the noteworthy thing was that he got only 1 chance. However, his next three performances were one of the worst.

In his next game against the Stanford Cardinal, Bronny potted a meager 2 points with 2 rebounds. Additionally, he could only support his team with one assist. This came as a blow to the Trojans since Bronny spent a full 20 minutes on the field. Although the Trojans won the match by a 93-79 margin, this game could have been the platform that Bronny needed to prove his mettle. Despite knowing this fact, he could contribute zilch field goals and three-pointers. In the free throw percentage, he had an average performance of 40%.

In the next two games, Bronny’s nightmare just took shape in reality since he scored nil points. He missed all his shooting chances and his team had to suffer humiliating defeats in both the games. He played for complete 15 and 25 minutes respectively in the games against the Washington State Cougars and the Colorado Buffaloes.

This raised a lot of questions on his performance with critics hinting that Bronny was not fit for college basketball. He had a flurry of horrendous displays despite being given enough time and game to settle with his team. And the Trojans lost both of these games by moderately close margins. Maybe Bronny’s performance would have made a difference.

In the next game against the Arizona Wildcats, Bronny made a comeback to some extent, throttling 11 points and seizing 5 rebounds. He also supported his team with 6 assists. But the Trojans still failed to make it since they were defeated by an embarrassing margin of 67-82. This defeat came with another reality check for the fans.

Is this Bronny’s end or just a phase in a bright future?

By looking at his performances in detail, it is clear that Bronny is not the alpha. He can not be trusted with the onus of making his team win in difficult situations. He is more of a team player and that too a fourth or fifth player. The main role in the Trojans camp is being played by their guards Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier. With their injuries, Bronny has been given the chance to become a more dominant player. But Bronny lacks the character needed to lead the team.

Instead, he is more of a connector. He can be used to execute team strategies. Going by his game, he is more suited to be a selfless passer than a fiery scorer. Plus, this is his first year for the Trojans and he should be cut some slack for that. The Trojans are suffering as a team with an 8-10 record. Had it been only Bronny who was struggling then things would have been different.

But since the entire squad is finding it difficult to notch up wins speaks a lot about their bonding and unsettled strategies. Bronny will definitely evolve to be a better player as he is a four-star recruit. He will perform better once the team is clear in their head and know their next step. This season, the Trojans haven’t demonstrated much and this is the perfect time now that they are mostly out of the title race to experiment with different positions for him. And hopefully, he can a head-turning comeback next season.

Watch This Story: Sending Shockwaves in The Basketball World, Know 18YO MiLaysia Fulwiley’s Story