When will Bryce James make his Arizona debut?
The 6-foot-6 freshman guard, who is the youngest son of Lakers superstar LeBron James, has yet to play in the No. 5 Wildcats’ first three games of the 2025-26 season, including a 84-49 win over Northern Arizona on Tuesday.
He was on the court for warmups before the start of the game at McKale Memorial Center in Tucson.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said after the blowout win that redshirting the 18-year-old guard is “on the table.”
“No final decisions have been made,” Lloyd said. “It’s tough. It puts you in a tough situation. You play Bryce in a game like this [against Northern Arizona] for three minutes, it burns a year of eligibility. I wish it was easier. I wish there was a set number of games you could play a guy like they have in football. I think that would make sense for some of these kids, but we don’t.
“I want Bryce to have the best college basketball career and the most options in his college basketball career long-term, whatever that looks like. Throwing a kid with a lot of potential that’s developing … a few garbage minutes — it might feel good now, but potentially down the line it could be something you regret.”
James saw some action against Embry-Riddle in an exhibition game last month in Tucson.
During a recent appearance on Complex’s “Sneaker Shopping,” James said he’s looking forward to playing in front of the fans.
“I’m definitely excited because I know here in Tucson, the crowds they really get into the game,” James said.
James, a product of Sierra Canyon, committed to the Wildcats in January after he took an unofficial visit.
Bryce’s older brother, Bronny, played one season at USC but his season was severely impacted when he suffered a cardiac arrest during a preseason practice.
Bronny is now in his second season with LeBron on the Lakers.
Arizona plays Cincinnati on Saturday.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
