Apparently, Bronny James’s commitment to USC was enough for one top college basketball insider to make a bold prediction about the Trojans’s upcoming season with the highly-touted four-star guard now in the fold.
Shortly after James rattled the sport with his long-anticipated decision, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports took to Twitter to outline an updated version of USC’s depth chart. In Rothstein’s estimation, the addition of James to a team that also added 2023 No. 1 recruit Isaiah Collier has done enough to position coach Andy Enfield’s coach in the driver’s seat heading into 2023-24.
“As of today, the Pac-12 goes through the Galen Center,” Rothstein declared in a tweet that also predicted James, Collier and star senior guard Boogie Ellis will start for Enfield in the fall.
USC's current projected lineup for 2023-24:
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 6, 2023
Isaiah Collier, Boogie Ellis, Bronny James, Kobe Johnson, Joshua Morgan/Vince Iwuchukwu
As of today, the Pac-12 goes through the Galen Center. https://t.co/VlPJLBXcMP
While it’s possible Rothstein may have gotten caught up in the moment, his hot take may not be too far-fetched considering where USC currently stands. The Trojans, two years removed from making their first Elite Eight in 20 years, are coming off a 2022-23 campaign where they finished third in the Pac-12 with a 22–11 record and earned their third-straight NCAA tournament appearance.
As it stands, James figures to add a nice boost to Enfield’s squad, even though it still remains to be seen how the starting lineup takes shape. Still, the idea of James, Collier and Ellis teaming up in the backcourt while returning junior Kobe Johnson mans the frontcourt alongside redshirt senior Joshua Morgan or sophomore Vince Iwuchukwu is a tantalizing prospect that should fire up Trojans fans in the months ahead.
