Column: Should Bronny James commit to Ohio State?

Jan 28, 2023 - 9:01 PM

The biggest name in high school basketball has yet to make a decision on where he will play college basketball. Bronny James has announced that Oregon, USC and Ohio State are his final three schools, and is expected to announce his decision at the end of Sierra Canyon’s season. Should/could/will he end up as a Buckeye?

First off, how good is Bronny, really? There’s a lot of people who say he’s only getting recruited because of his name, but most experts agree that he is a top-50 player in the nation. He was previously a five-star recruit before being bumped down to a four-star. However, he has maintained his top-50 status for the entirety of his high school career, which is an impressive feat.

So, no, he’s not the best player in his class. Kentucky and Duke aren’t giving him any offers. However, he has shown flashes of greatness. He is a bit of a streaky player, going off for a few games in a row and then settling back down for a couple of games. Experts say that he isn’t always the dynamic playmaker like his dad is, but every time he asserts himself as that, he shows how good he really is.

He is a very selfless player, a true team player. However, it seems that sometimes that selflessness translates to timidness. The all-around talent is there, but he just needs to consistently play more aggressive.

Everyone is wondering what the next steps are for him. As previously mentioned, he is a very solid player who definitely will start at a Power 5 school. The question is, which one?

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His recruitment and decision-making process has been very hush hush, so truly the James family are the only people who knows what he is going to do. There’s rumors of playing in the G League, going overseas or, the most obvious option, taking the college route.

I do believe he will play in college for a few reasons. He seems to be truly a team-first player, and so you’d think he would really enjoy the college environment and the goal of winning a national championship. Additionally, as a push for him to choose the Buckeyes, Ohio State is a Nike campus, and with his father’s ties to Nike, it would be nice for him to stay with the Nike family.

Also, the NIL money he could reel in as a student-athlete would probably be historic, not that that matters to him too much. But still, something to consider.

I think Ohio State would be a great fit for Bronny, and I believe there is a real chance he chooses the Buckeyes. Obviously, with Lebron growing up in Akron and being a lifelong Buckeye fan, one would think that Ohio State would have a slight edge over USC and Oregon alone just because of that — but who knows!

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From a basketball standpoint, the Buckeyes could use him. There is only one other guard in the 2023 recruiting class in four-star Taison Chatman. Barring any transfers, the only guards on the roster next year are Bruce Thornton, Gene Brown and Roddy Gayle Jr. Ohio State is clearly still trying to figure out the lineup that works best for them, and it is possible that Bronny could be the answer they are looking for.

So, should he commit to Ohio State? Yes! Could he? I think it’s definitely possible. Will he? Thats the answer we are all waiting for.

I think the Buckeyes have a really good chance as of now, but again, we don’t know the internal talks he is having with his family about what is best for him. I obviously want him to go wherever is best for him, but selfishly, it would be great to see Lebron James Jr. in scarlet and gray.