USC

USC Denies That Ticket Hike Is A “Bronny Tax”

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USC Men’s Basketball team is in an intriguing position. In 2021, they went to the Elite Eight of March Madness. However, a year later, they crashed out in the first round. But they could be about to bounce back given their 2023 recruiting class.

The big name is obviously Bronny James, ESPN‘s #19 prospect and the son of NBA legend LeBron James. He’s the star power, Mr. Hollywood, the poster child. But he’s not the premier prospect in the class for the Trojans. That would be Isaiah Collier, ESPN‘s #1 prospect. Together, along with the rest of USC’s young core, the Trojans could be looking at their first Final Four appearance since 1954. However, questions are starting to be asked about some of the things that USC is doing in light of this major recruiting class.

USC Dismisses Claims Of A “Bronny Tax”

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 07: Wheeler guard Isaiah Collier guarded by Sierra Canyon guard Bronny James during a high school basketball game between Sierra Canyon and Wheeler in The Chosen-1’s Invitational at Galen Center on January 7, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images).

There’s no denying that Trojans tickets are about to become a hot commodity. “There is an added tier here, an added level, for sure, with the family ties Bronny comes with and the friends that not only he has but that his family has. And the following that could follow him and come to games on any given night,” USC Chief of Marketing Craig Kelley told ESPN. “It’s up to us to prepare.” Among that, Kelley acknowledged that ticket prices at the Galen Center are set to rise. However, he objected to the price hike being seen as a “Bronny Tax”.

“I know it’s going to be hard to believe, but with or without Bronny, the prices were more than likely going to go up by a few percentage points just because that’s just the nature of the business,” Kelley said. “Most teams are increasing their prices 2% to 3% annually. We’ve actually been flat for quite some time. And so we were going up in price just because the team has just gotten better. And you do add some notable name players.” Furthermore, USC has never shied away from high-profile students. Their 2023 graduating class included Sasha Obama and Princess Salma bint Abdullah of Jordan. However, that won’t be much comfort to the Trojan faithful who are going to feel a bigger pinch of their wallet next season.

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Bronny James Signs Letter Of Intent

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After months of speculation, Bronny James finally revealed the next step of his basketball journey earlier in May. James opted to play at least one year of college, as opposed to playing overseas or spending a year in the G-League. Furthermore, James announced that he would be joining Andy Enfield’s team at USC. Additionally, Bronny is projected to be a top-ten pick in the 2024 draft. LeBron has expressed a desire to play with his son before he eventually retires.

Last season, the Trojans went 22-11, finishing third in the Pac-12. However, they crashed out of the Pac-12 tournament in the first round 77-72 to Arizona State. Their performance earned them a ten-seed in the NCAA Tournament. That set up a first-round matchup against Michigan State. That ended in a 72-62 loss, meaning that the team had lost in the first round in back-to-back seasons.

LeBron Shares Letter Of Intent News

“My boy signed his letter of intent yesterday for @uschoops! So damn happy and proud of you @bronny!! Pops shed a gangsta 🥺😢 seeing this. So AMAZING!! #ProudDad #BronnyGoingToCollege😱 #JamesGang👑 #FightOn✌🏾” Bronny’s father, LeBron James, said on Instagram. His post also included pictures of Bronny at a signing table, as well as a picture with his mother Savannah, and brother Bryce. However, LeBron himself was unable to attend. He is currently in Denver as part of his Western Conference Finals series against the Nuggets.

Despite USC’s recent struggles, 2023-24 should be an up year for the program. Alongside Bronny (ESPN‘s #19 prospect this year), USC is also welcoming another, arguably more elite, prospect. USC also managed to snag the #1 prospect in the class, Isiah Collier. The pair of prospects, along with a young and promising core, could improve the Trojans’ prospects. ESPN currently has USC projected as a #5 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. If that proves true, it would the team’s highest seeding since 2007. Are you excited to see Bronny at USC? Where do you think he will play in the NBA? Let us know in the comments below.

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Bryce James Future College Betting Odds Revealed

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Bryce James has been proving himself as one of the best young basketball players in the nation. Overall, the younger brother of Bronny James has been impressing fans. Moreover, he is already taller than his brother, which obviously bodes well considering his age. Next year, he will be going into his Junior season with Sierra Canyon, and fans are excited to see what kind of step he is going to take. There are people who think he will be better than Bronny, although there is no guarantee of this.

Overall, he has a very bright future ahead of him. With Bronny going to USC next year, there are now rumblings about where Bryce may want to go. Of course, he could follow in his brother’s footsteps and go to USC. However, there are plenty of other great options for him out there. Bryce has a huge name attached to him, and he is also a great athlete. That said, plenty of teams will be lining up to recruit him come 2025.

Read More: LeBron James Showers Bronny In Praise After USC Commitment

Bryce James Has Options

Bryce James #5 of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers takes a free throw against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Cleveland High School on November 19, 2022 in Reseda, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

According to Bovada Sportsbook, there are already betting odds for where Bryce may land. For now, USC is actually the voting favorite at -180. Moreover, Oregon is in second place at +350. From there, we have UCLA at +800, UNC at +950, Duke at +950, and Kentucky at +1500 for good measure. Another interesting inclusion on the list is Duquesne at +1800. Duquesne is here as they have already offered Bryce a scholarship. Needless to say, this could all get very interesting in a couple of years from now.

With all of this being said, perhaps now is the time to pump the breaks on all of this Bryce stuff. He is still just a teenager, and there is no telling what he will decide to do with his career. Hopefully, he is able to keep all of this up. Let us know where you think he should go, in the comments section below.

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LeBron James Showers Bronny In Praise After USC Commitment

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LeBron James is currently having a nice campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Overall, LeBron has a lot to be excited about. The Lakers are up 2-1 on the Golden State Warriors, and tonight, they could very well take a large lead in the series. If they pull off a win in this series, they would go to the Western Conference Finals. Additionally, both the Nuggets and Suns are vulnerable right now. Consequently, the Lakers could have a path to the NBA Finals. Although, we are getting ahead of ourselves here.

Aside from LeBron James and his on-court accomplishments, James has been a happy man off of the court. Much of this has to do with his son Bronny James Jr. Over the weekend, Bronny announced that he would be committing to USC. After contemplating schools like Ohio State and Oregon, Bronny opted to stay in California. Overall, it was a great decision that will now have a huge say in whether or not he someday gets to the NBA. Although, in the eyes of many, that is going to be a given.

Read More: T.I. Explains Why He Will Always Respect LeBron James

LeBron James Is A Happy Man

In true LeBron James fashion, he reacted to the news by taking to Instagram where he posted a photo of Bronny. In the caption, he wrote “FIGHT ON!!! So damn proud of you kid! I have words besides I LOVE YOU @bronny!!! LET’S GO!!!!!!” Furthermore, LeBron had told reporters on Saturday night this was extra special as Bronny is the first person from his family to go to college. Overall, that must be an amazing feeling for Bronny, who continues to showcase his talents and majority.

At this point, it must be nice to be LeBron James. He has every single accomplishment one could ever want in the NBA. Moreover, he has an amazing family that is carving out an impressive legacy. If LeBron and the Lakers can go out and do the impossible this season, then James will have to be seen as the GOAT. At five rings, it would be hard to say otherwise. Let us know what you think of Bronny’s decision, in the comments section below.

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Bronny James Commits To USC

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Bronny James, son of NBA star LeBron James, announced his commitment to USC on Saturday. The 6-foot-3 guard is currently rated as a four-star recruit and the 19th-ranked prospect in 2023. Bronny made the announcement in a post on Instagram. The decision will allow him to stay close to his father, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Fight On,” Bronny captioned a photo of himself in the USC locker room. According to the Los Angeles Times, Bronny also seriously considered committing to Ohio State and Oregon. He also mulled the option of playing with the G League Ignite and foregoing his college career. Bronny, who is 19 years old, will be eligible for the NBA Draft in 2024.

Bronny With LeBron James

HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 28: Bronny James #6 of the West team talks to Lebron James of the Los Angeles Lakers after the 2023 McDonald’s High School Boys All-American Game at Toyota Center on March 28, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

At USC, Bronny will join the top guard in his senior class, Isaiah Collier. The two previously played together in the backcourt during a pair of all-star games in April. “It’s been great playing with him,” Collier told Yahoo Sports. “Just these last couple of weeks and getting to know each other as players. He’s a great shooter. I’m a great passer and, yeah, my pitch to him is just to stay home and we can really play well together.”

Bronny averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.8 steals during his senior season at Sierra Canyon High School. Last month, he played in front of NBA scouts at the Nike Hoop Summit. “I just want to show them [NBA scouts] that I can play and I belong here,” Bronny told reporters after a practice for the event. “A lot of people don’t think I should be here and I’m just here to prove that I do belong [with this group].” USC finished second in the Pac-12 last year and was a 10-seed in the NCAA tournament. They went on to lose to Michigan State in the first round.

Bronny’s Announcement On IG

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Bronny James Jr. Reportedly Has First-Round Pick Potential

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Bronny James Jr. is set to have a very interesting year ahead of him. At the end of the current high school season, he is going to decide where he wants to play college basketball. Overall, he has narrowed it down to three schools. These colleges include USC, Oregon, and Ohio State.

Additionally, reports suggest that there may be a fourth school that is considering. Either way, Bronny is proving himself to be an exceptional two-way talent. Scouts are very excited about him as a prospect, and there is now a sense that he’d make the NBA even without LeBron’s influence.

LeBron ‘Bronny’ James Jr. #0 of Sierra Canyon High School shoots a free throw during the Ohio Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic against St. Vincent-St. Mary High School at Nationwide Arena on December 14, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Bronny Impresses

According to a report from Jonathan Givony, Bronny was on fire during the Hoophall Classic. Subsequently, scouts are calling for him to be a first-round pick. Moreover, there is this feeling that he is one of the few high school recruits who is developing at a rapid pace.

“Standing around 6-4 with a chiseled frame and long wingspan, James fits the bill for what NBA teams are looking for physically,” Givony wrote. “He put on a clinic defensively on the ball at Hoophall with five steals and one block. He uses his frame to get over screens seamlessly, almost always makes the right rotations plugging gaps off the ball, is smart about using verticality to protect the rim and generates countless deflections with his excellent mobility.”

Bronny is one of those players who is definitely going to move the needle over the next little while. He has a lot of fans tuning into Sierra Canyon games, and his upcoming college decision will be quite the showcase.

Let us know where you think Bronny needs to go, in the comments down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the sports world.

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