A series of injuries to USC's lineup recently created an opportunity for Bronny James to make his first collegiate start in Colorado on Saturday night. Starters Joshua Morgan, Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier were out, so Trojans coach Andy Enfield added the son of NBA star LeBron James to his starting five.
However, the absence of Morgan (averaging 2.3 blocks per game), veteran Ellis and Collier, a projected first-round pick in the NBA draft, took its toll, and the Trojans entered the CU Events Center, which is located at an elevation of 5,430 feet as the fifth highest in college basketball, and blew a 13-point halftime lead to lose 68-58. It was also a cold night for James, who finished 0 for 7 with just two rebounds and one assist.
With the loss, the Trojans are now 8-9 (2-4 Pac-12) with a NET ranking of 90. They will need a major turnaround to earn a spot in the NIT. The NCAA tournament is not yet a valid conversation for the Enfield program.
And yet, James, who played 25 minutes on Saturday night, continues to demonstrate his growth, as well as some of the challenges he is experiencing. It's also important to note that the contest in Boulder was only his ninth game as a Division I player. Still, USC will need more from the rookie (and the entire roster, for that matter) to change his current trajectory.
Here, we break down what we learned about Bronny James, the starter, and USC without its star players.
James' key play a few minutes into the confrontation
With 17:31 left in the first half, James committed an offensive foul on KJ Simpson, Colorado's leading scorer. It was also Simpson's second foul of the game, sending him to the bench until about the 14th minute. Thanks to those two early fouls, Simpson played the rest of the first half more cautiously than usual and finished 2 for 6 before halftime.
James successfully defended him on multiple possessions and continued to show that he is a player willing to make those hustle plays, which may not always get a mention on SportsCenter, but still impact the game.
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Cody Williams blocks Bronny James' layup attempt
Cody Williams makes a nice defensive play with this hit on Bronny James' shot attempt.
You need to work on your assertiveness.
James loves to defer and he had good reason to do so at the beginning of the game. His teammates, including Oziyah Sellers, helped USC take an early run and finish the first half 37-24. But two of James' first shots were blocked in what was a 5-0 start for the freshman. He is still trying to find his offensive role for this team.
Saturday's game was a chance for James to show off all of the skills that had made him a top-20 high school recruit, but he didn't play with the aggression that would have allowed him to do so. It's clear he's still finding the balance between involving his teammates, which he does well, and increasing his scoring output.
Despite the difficulties, he showed promise with constant energy.
James missed his first seven shots and his team also couldn't shake its second-half scoring drought, starting off 3 of 15 from the field after halftime. However, James never seemed to lose confidence. This is important, especially for a freshman. He continued to attack in the second half, and his defensive intensity never wavered, even when Colorado took over and ultimately won by 10.
