The Ohio State basketball program could have a particularly high-profile visitor in Columbus for the football program's upcoming season opener.
On3 reported Wednesday that four-star 2023 guard Bronny James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, is considering taking his first known college visit when the Buckeyes face off against Notre Dame on Sept. 3.
Sources: Bronny James, son of LeBron, is eyeing a visit to Ohio State.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) August 24, 2022
More details: https://t.co/Mp9jX75Axc pic.twitter.com/1lWgEkyCP8
According to the report, “the visit is not set in stone, and could potentially change,” and “it’s also unclear whether or not this will be an official or unofficial visit.” However, the potential of landing a visit from the No. 41 player in the country – and the son of NBA royalty, no less – could be monumental for Chris Holtmann and company.
It had previously been reported by ESPN that James, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound combo guard who plays at Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles, received scholarship offers from Duke and Kentucky six years ago. Since then, Memphis, USC, North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T are the only programs publicly known to have extended offers to James.
That said, UCLA, Oregon and Ohio State have all been linked as potential suitors for James as well, despite a recruitment that has largely been shrouded in mystery.
LeBron James played high school basketball at St. Vincent-St. Mary in his native Akron, Ohio, and has publicly stated that he would have played college basketball for the Buckeyes had he not gone straight to the NBA out of high school.
James played 11 seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers across two stints, and led the Cavs to their first-ever NBA championship in 2016. James has played for the Los Angeles Lakers since the start of the 2018-19 season.
Ohio State recently landed its third and fourth commits in its 2023 recruiting class with four-star forwards Devin Royal and Scotty Middleton pledging to the Buckeyes at the start of August. Ohio State's 2023 class currently ranks No. 4 in the country.
| NAME | POSITION | OVERALL RANKING | POSITION RANKING | DATE OF COMMITMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEORGE WASHINGTON | G | No. 60 | No. 9 | NOV. 3, 2021 |
| AUSTIN PARKS | C | No. 105 | No. 12 | FEB. 13, 2022 |
| DEVIN ROYAL | SF | No. 73 | No. 14 | AUG. 3, 2022 |
| SCOTTY MIDDLETON | SF | No. 34 | No. 6 | AUG. 7, 2022 |
A source told Eleven Warriors the Buckeyes won’t rule out taking a fifth high school commit in the class. And of course, the exposure James could bring to the program would only add to the momentum Holtmann and company have gathered with potential top-10 nationally ranked classes in back-to-back years.
Ohio State 2023 offensive line commit Luke Montgomery, who played AAU basketball with Bronny for the North Coast Blue Chips during LeBron’s second stint with the Cavs, foreshadowed the news of James' potential visit to Columbus with a series of emojis in a social media post Wednesday.
see you September 3rd
— Luke Montgomery (@lukeMonty8) August 24, 2022
September 3rd is gonna be special buckeye nation. #gobucks https://t.co/CzYfCIaWI5
— Bryson Rodgers (@IBryson13) August 24, 2022
