College Basketball

Bronny James' recruiting ranking soars following outstanding senior season

Published May. 4, 2023 8:13 p.m. ET

As Bronny James wraps up his senior year at Sierra Canyon School in Southern California, basketball fans across the nation wait with great anticipation to see where his hoops journey will take him next.

The 18-year-old son of NBA superstar LeBron James might not be the top-ranked prospect in the 2023 class, but he is undeniably the most well-known recruit in the class. His potential list of options include playing in college — USC and Ohio State are among those who have offered — or skipping school and joining Overtime Elite or the NBA G League Ignite.

James is one of three uncommitted players in the top 30 of 247Spots.com’s final set of 2023 rankings, which were released Thursday morning. He checks in at No. 26, which is up 10 spots from the previous set of rankings.

"Bronny has steadily improved, and the things he excels at, he does very well," 247Sports national basketball director Eric Bossi said. "He is among the very best catch and shoot guys in the class, he’s an intelligent passer, and he is an excellent on the ball defender. He’s also strong, has some toughness and an athletic pop."

ESPN released its final 2023 player rankings last month, with James coming in at No. 19, which is the highest mark of all major recruiting sites. Rivals.com lists James at No. 26 in the 2023 class, while On3.com slots him at No. 23 overall.

If James does opt to play in college, the consensus among recruiting analysts is that he'll make an immediate impact given his improvement over the past 12 months, which includes making massive strides as an outside shooter and defender.

"Like all players, it’s a combination of his projected college impact and long-term NBA potential," 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein said in relation to James’ jump in the rankings. "In Bronny’s case, he should be able to impact winning at the college level right away."

Former Texas commit Ron Holland is the new top-ranked prospect in the 2023 class, per 247Sports. Isaiah Collier (USC), Justin Edwards (Kentucky), Cody Williams (Colorado) and Aaron Bradshaw (Kentucky) round out the top five.

As for team rankings, Kentucky currently has the top-ranked class in 2023 — head coach John Calipari shared his thoughts on the matter in a recent Q&A with FOX Sports college basketball reporter John Fanta. Duke, UConn, Michigan State and Louisville make up the rest of the top five.

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