Are you having fun, USC basketball fans? Bronny James might not decide to play with the Trojans, but the mere possibility that he could play for USC next season is a topic with fresh new dimensions for the program.
Two or three weeks ago, the possibility of Bronny James playing for USC would have elicited some buzz and hype, but his presence wouldn’t have filled out the roster in an all-encompassing way. USC still needed a proven shooter in the transfer portal in order to feel it had plugged its roster holes and had a strong team coming back for this season.
Now, however, the equation is different. Boogie Ellis has decided to return to USC for the 2023-2024 season, a surprising move but one he was able to make due to the extra year of COVID eligibility.
USC doesn’t need a shooter in the transfer portal now that Boogie is coming back. That need has been filled, albeit in a way most were not expecting. The Trojans now know that if Bronny James comes to USC, he will join Isaiah Collier and Boogie Ellis in the backcourt.
Holy smokes!
The Trojans are already deep in the frontcourt with Vince Iwuchukwu, Joshua Morgan, and Kijani Wright. They have wing defenders, Tre White and Kobe Johnson. If they have a three-man backcourt of Bronny, Collier and Boogie, there will not be many holes on the roster. Only a stretch four would be lacking. Everything else would be in place. Defense, length, depth, balance, scoring, playmaking, shot creation — the Trojans could get something from nearly every position on the roster.
The decision for Bronny James would come down to this: Would Bronny want to be on a Final Four-level team, or would the idea of playing with ball-dominant players such as Isaiah Collier and Boogie Ellis limit his role and thereby serve as a turn-off rather than a reason to play for the Trojans?
Only Bronny James knows, but with Boogie Ellis returning to USC, Bronny certainly has more to consider.
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