TUCSON, Ariz. — With Kevin Durant watching from the front row, Bronny James got hot early and hit his first three shots in USC‘s 82-67 loss at No. 12 Arizona on Wednesday.
James, who finished with 11 points (5-for-11 shooting), six assists, five rebounds, one block and five turnovers in his second career start, hit his first shot, a floater in the lane, just a few feet from where the Phoenix Suns superstar was sitting at the McKale Center.
Durant told ESPN he came to the game to support James, USC, Arizona and college basketball. He said he was impressed by the way James attacked.
“He was aggressive,” Durant said. “He played well.”
But James struggled after a strong first half, missing six of his next eight shots following his 3-for-3 start.
The Trojans, who were missing starters Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier because of injury, cut Arizona’s 19-9 edge early in the game to a four-point deficit (38-34) on Kobe Johnson‘s 3-pointer late in the first half. But Caleb Love (20 points) and Arizona pulled away again and led by double digits for the bulk of the second half.
USC coach Andy Enfield said he has never experienced an injury bug that has affected his team to this degree.
Joshua Morgan missed two recent games with an upper respiratory virus. He played Wednesday but only after losing 15 pounds in a short span. Ellis continues to deal with a hamstring injury. And Collier is still sidelined after suffering a broken hand.
Through it all, Enfield said he is proud of his team’s competitive nature.
“Our guys have stuck together,” he said after the loss. “I’m very proud of them. They’ve supported their teammates when they’ve been out [due to injury], and they’re trying to compete.”
He said James, who played in just his 10th game after suffering cardiac arrest during a summer workout, will continue to grow but added that his development to date has been impressive, considering what he has endured recently.
“The young man went through a situation this summer, medically, that was very difficult and challenging,” Enfield said. “Bronny James, he has no ego, he’s a terrific teammate. He’s so easy to coach because he just wants to get better. I think you see it. And he is getting better.”
