Bridges played basketball for Fairmont Senior High School in Fairmont, West Virginia. He helped his team win back-to-back Class AA state titles in his first two years.[1][2] As a senior, he averaged 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, leading his team to its fourth straight state title game.[3] He won the Bill Evans Award as the top high school player in the state of West Virginia.[4] A consensus four-star recruit, he committed to playing college basketball for West Virginia over offers from Miami (Florida), Indiana, Xavier and Alabama.[5]
College career
After initially planning to play a postgraduate season, Bridges joined West Virginia for his first season as a redshirt.[6] On March 4, 2021, he recorded freshman season-highs of 22 points and 12 rebounds in a 76–67 win over TCU.[7] As a freshman, Bridges averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, earning Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors.[8] He averaged 8.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Following the season, Bridges transferred to Baylor.[9] He averaged 10.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a junior. Bridges declared for the 2023 NBA draft before withdrawing to return to Baylor.[10] He averaged 12.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 blocks per game and was named to the Third Team All-Big 12.[11]