USC basketball was out-classed by No. 12 Arizona in Tucson on Wednesday, falling 82-67 for its third straight loss against Pac-12 competition. The Trojans played without injured star freshman Isaiah Collier once again, effectively handing keys of the offense to Bronny James for the most extended action of his ballyhooed freshman season.
James notched 30 minutes against the Wildcats, five more than his previous season-high during Saturday's loss to Colorado. After failing to score in back-to-back outings, James found his footing Wednesday while playing lots of point guard for USC, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds and six assists on 5-of-11 overall and 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. His five turnovers were a new high water mark for James, just like his numbers on the glass and finding teammates.
James' box-score impact marked much-needed improvement, but still doesn't quite tell the full story of a performance that can broadly be described as encouraging—especially given the blameless nature of some of his turnovers. Let's dive into how Bronny James looked in the Trojans' loss to Arizona.
Bronny James flashes tantalizing talents vs. Arizona
What makes James stand out most from most of his star freshman peers is his ability to seamlessly fit into winning basketball on both sides of the floor. A lack of natural wiggle off the bounce and high-level finishing craft mean he's not projected as a primary playmaker at the next level, instead poised to slide into a supporting perimeter role next to a lead ball handler—not dissimilar from ones currently occupied by the likes of Derrick White, Jalen Suggs and De'Anthony Melton.
Collier's ongoing absence has substantially altered the Trojans' offensive hierarchy, ensuring James spends more time with the ball in his hands. He played point guard for large swaths of Wednesday's game, bringing the ball up, orchestrating offense and even running high pick-and-roll. The results were certainly more positive than negative, James showing off the passing feel and overall court sense likely to make him a valuable ‘connector' in the NBA.
He should've had more than six assists, too. This pinpoint outlet in the second half—which came while James, still getting his full wind back after suffering cardiac arrest in August, was absolutely gassed—no doubt made his dad proud.
James' ability to slide his feet and pester guards with active hands, long arms and broad shoulders is key to his playing profile both now and going forward. He was easily USC's best point-of-attack defender against the Wildcats, largely containing the ball and almost always recovering fast when he fell behind.
After noticing he was beaten backdoor guarding the strong-side corner in the clip below, James immediately flips his hips and takes two gather steps before exploding off the floor for an off-hand block.
Five turnovers is a misleading total for James. At least two of those counted miscues weren't his fault, actually serving as evidence of why James intrigues NBA scouts beyond his name and despite his struggles.
There's not much explanation needed on the officials' horrendous gaffe here. James never comes close to double-dribbling while catching a drop-off pass in the open floor, taking two dribbles and gliding past length at the rim for a smooth finish, but a whistle was blown anyway.
Look how James fights through the screen for a disruptive rear-view contest in the following sequence before pushing ahead to initiate early offense. This is the type of two-way effort and intellect that will always be a hallmark of James' game.
Instead of his crafty hand-off navigation leading to a layup at the rim or even two free throws, teammate Kijani Wright can't corral his bounce pass—another turnover James didn't deserve.
James is a dangerous spot-up shooter, but progress with his overall shot-making will inform his career trajectory more than anything else. He exhibited soft touch and good footwork at times in Tucson, attacking a close-out for a same-foot floater, sprinting off a post split for a one-dribble 15-footer and hitting a pull-up three from the right wing out of pick-and-roll.
James also air-mailed two jumpers, a catch-and-shoot triple from the left wing and a leaning step-back two in double-drag action, and badly missed another clean pull-up look from three. Makes will come and go for a developing shooter and finisher like James, just like they did when he went scoreless versus Colorado and Washington State.
Everything else James does on the floor is worth just as much scrutiny as his effectiveness scoring the ball. On a night he played with more freedom and aggression than ever finding shots for himself and his teammates, that James coupled all the little things he always does with some promising glimpses of shot-making counts as a major step in the right direction of an up-and-down freshman season.
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