USC’S Bronny James looks to transfer, test NBA draft waters
From staff and wire reports
Through the end of his days in a USC uniform, Bronny James’ teammates pushed for him to simply shoot the ball more, sensing the 6-foot-4 freshman’s potential as a microwave scorer that never quite translated to reality.
“I mean, it’s going to take time with him to really be that player like he is,” junior Kobe Johnson said, after an early March win. “Right now, it’s just, it’s a learning curve for him, get used to college basketball, get used to all the quickness.”
That learning curve was stunted, for much of a tumultuous freshman year at USC, throughout a continued recovery from heart surgery. And James’ time is up at USC, as he announced Friday morning on Instagram he’d enter the NBA draft while also entering the transfer portal and maintaining collegiate eligibility.
“I’ve had a year with some ups and downs but all added to growth for me as a man, student and athlete,” James wrote on Instagram.
It feels like an abrupt and anticlimactic ending to James’ tenure at USC, which began with his collapse from cardiac arrest at a summer workout. His return after undergoing surgery came a month into the season, in a loss to Long Beach State, where he drew viral comparisons to father Lebron
James on a massive chasedown block; his teammates spoke highly of his potential and character at every opportunity, and his athleticism and IQ stood out from his first games of collegiate basketball.
“For someone who has – is supposed to be making NIL, $7 million, and got a dad who plays in the NBA and all the things around him, drives a nice car, whatever, whatever – he’s just a humble kid and respectful kid,” USC assistant coach Eric Mobley said. “He’s a student-athlete. He’s a perfect studentathlete.”
In his short time with the Trojans, James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes a game.
Seton Hall wins NIT
Dre Davis scored on a layup with 16 seconds left Thursday night to cap Seton Hall’s decisive late run, giving the Pirates a 79-77 victory over Indiana State and their first NIT championship since 1953.
Seton Hall (25-12) scored the final nine points in a battle between two No. 1 seeds to erase a 77-70 deficit and send the local faithful at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse home disappointed.
Davis finished with 18 points in Indianapolis, his hometown. Al-amir Dawes, named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, led the Pirates with 24 points and Kadary Richmond had 21 points and 13 rebound.
Isaiah Swope scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half to lead the Sycamores (32-7), who fell one win short of claiming their first national postseason title since the 1950 NAIA championship.
Men's AP honors
Purdue center Zach Edey and Houston coach Kelvin Sampson were announced as the top player and coach during the men’s basketball season in voting by The Associated Press.
Edey, a 7-foot-4 center from Canada, collected his second AP Player of the Year award, becoming the first back-to-back winner since Ralph Sampson won three in a row at Virginia from 1981-83.
Edey received 57 of 62 votes from journalists who vote in the weekly AP Top 25. Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht received three votes and Houston’s Jamal Shead got two.
■ Under Sampson, Houston won the Big 12 regular-season title in its first year in the league, earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, and advanced through the opening weekend for the fifth time in a row.
Sampson edged Uconn’s Dan Hurley for his second AP Coach of the Year award. Sampson received 23 of 62 votes from the national panel. Hurley was second with 21 votes. Voting closed before the start of the NCAA Tournament.