Bronny James will draw considerable attention from schools hoping to bring him onboard next year.
Some may envision LeBron James’ son picking a prestigious program given his family lineage. However, a less heralded team is attempting to land the long guard.
“One school making an unexpected push to recruit James is Rutgers, a basketball striver.” Adam Zagoria of the New York Times wrote (h/t 247Sports). “As far-fetched as it might seem, Rutgers is hoping Coach Steve Pikiell’s strong record of development — turning lightly regarded recruits such as Geo Baker, Ron Harper Jr. and Myles Johnson into decorated Big Ten players — carries some appeal to James.”
The Scarlet Knights are hardly a basketball powerhouse. Eugene Omoruyi, an undrafted forward who saw 18 minutes for the Oklahoma City Thunder, was the only Rutgers alum to play in the NBA last season.
Yet they’re making major progress in recent years. After three decades without an NCAA tournament appearance, Rutgers has gone dancing in each of the last two seasons. Harper signed a two-year deal with the Toronto Raptors after blossoming under Pikiell.
Bronny arguably wouldn’t even be the best class of 2023 player to join Rutgers. Forward Gavin Griffiths, the No. 36-ranked recruit on 247Sports, committed to the New Jersey school in June. James is No. 43 in the same composite rankings.
James will probably have flashier options. He could even eschew college altogether and play professionally in the G League or overseas.
Rutgers isn’t a likely destination, but perhaps it’s not as crazy as it seems.