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When your father is an NBA superstar and you play for one of the top high school basketball teams in the country, you're going to garner a lot of attention. That's an understatement for Bronny James, son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. Before we get going, Bronny James heading into the NBA Draft is a very real possibility. In fact, Bronny NBA Draft talk is already picking up steam even though he's only going to be a high school junior in 2021-22 coming off a torn meniscus injury.
However, for the time being, we'll mostly focus on the idea of him going to college. Bronny James college conversations might not be all the rage, but you never know.
It seems pretty silly to think about college options for a kid who's only 15 years old. However, with his high-profile name and apparent elite skills for his age, James will undoubtedly get recruited as one of the top prospects in the class of 2023.
College basketball may completely different in a few year's time, it's impossible to accurately predict that volatile landscape. For all we know, Bronny could skip out on college altogether just like his dad. Obviously James will continue to grow both mentally and physically in the next few years but if the 6-foot-2 combo guard does decide to take the collegiate route, here a few of the best Bronny James college options. Again, to be fair, we admit Bronny James NBA Draft topics are soon likely to happen.
Kentucky
It has been reported that James has already received multiple scholarship offers. However, according to his 247-Sports profile, the Wildcats are the only official offer for the high school freshman.
Assuming head coach John Calipari is still at the school by the time James goes to college, the University of Kentucky is an obvious choice. UK is an absolute NBA factory and as of 2018, there were 30 former Wildcats on NBA rosters. Add in the three first-round picks they had in the 2019 draft and you can see why many top recruits choose Kentucky.
Ohio State
In 2013, LeBron James spoke to the Ohio State football team before a big game. James, who went straight from high school to the NBA, stated that if he had gone to college, he would've been a Buckeye. That's clearly a big deal for those who want to connect the dots about what might happen with his son moving forward.
With James' Ohio roots, you better believe Ohio State will be chasing hard after his son. Since the 2005-06 season, the Buckeyes have made the NCAA Tournament 11 times and made an NCAA Championship Game appearance in 2007.
Ohio State may not have the ‘blue blood' label as Kentucky and Duke but it is still a competitive program that has a connection to the James family.
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UCLA
It's more than possible that Bronny James would want to stay in Los Angeles where his father plays for the nearby Lakers (assuming he is still playing for the team by 2023). It might be the most logistical Bronny James college destination.
Bronny also plays for Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth, California which is less than an hour from Los Angeles.
UCLA was once a major power in college basketball. Their reputation has taken a hit in recent years but they are still a big name program in one of the most attractive destinations in the country. With Mick Cronin now in charge of the program, focusing more on defense, with far less (at least for now proven) emphasis on developing players into NBA Draft prospects, it's up in the air as to how the Bruins rank compared to the others.
Duke
Speaking of blue blood programs, there's arguably not a bigger name in college basketball than Duke. Despite being a high school freshman, the Blue Devils are the 247-Sports Crystal Ball favorites to land Bronny James and with the school's pension for landing top recruits, it makes sense.
Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski have managed to land at least one top 10 recruit in every recruiting class since 2013. While it's entirely too early to predict where James will land in the final recruiting rankings of 2023, all signs point to the prodigy being one of the classes' top prospects.
If anyone wants Bronny to Durham — himself, LeBron James, or Coach K — given Coach K and LeBron's relationship, this could certainly happen. As it with nearly everything, time will tell.
