Bronny James’ college basketball career could have a bit of a twist ahead depending on how the near future unfolds.
The University of Southern Methodist — which recently fired head coach Rob Lanier — is reportedly interested in University of Southern California head coach Andy Enfield.
USC coach Andy Enfield has emerged as a person of interest in the SMU men’s basketball search, sources tell me and @jeffborzello. No deal is imminent. There’s multiple candidates, with Enfield expected to top the list.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 26, 2024
Enfield has served as the head coach of the Trojans for the last 11 seasons, with his first season leading the team coming in the 2013-14 campaign. He has led the team to five appearances in the NCAA Tournament during that span, including three appearances in the last four seasons.
But the 2023-24 season — James’ freshman season with the Trojans — was an unsuccessful one for Enfield and company. The squad ended the season with a mediocre 15-18 record, which was one of the worst records of any team in the Pac-12 conference. Furthermore, the Trojans finished with a record of 8-12 in conference play.
As for James, while he put together some flashes of impressive two-way play, he was far from one of the best players at his position in college basketball during the 2023-24 season. He appeared in 25 games (making six starts) for the Trojans as a freshman and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from 3-point range.
Arguably James’ most notable performance in the month of March came in a 13-point victory over the University of Arizona on March 9. He stuffed the stat sheet in roughly 19 minutes of playing time, as he totaled five points, six rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block while shooting 2-of-3 from the field and 1-of-2 from deep.
It remains to be seen if the Trojans will have a new head coach for the 2024-25 season, but considering the lack of success that the team experienced in the 2023-24 campaign, perhaps a change would give the program some new life.
Meanwhile, James has a decision to make on his future, as he could stay in college or try to take his talents to the NBA.
