Why Bryce James Didn't Play vs. Florida, Expectations for LeBron's Son at Arizona

Bryce James, the youngest son of NBA legend LeBron James, had his first collegiate basketball game on Monday as No. 13 Arizona took down No. 3 Florida, but he didn't hear his number called.

James watched from the bench as the Wildcats upset the defending champions.

James' lack of playing time might come as a surprise to some, but there are a handful of reasons why he wasn't on the floor on Monday.

While James' brother, Bronny, was a consensus 5-star prospect heading into his freshman year at USC, the younger James was considered to be a 3-star prospect and the No. 324 player in the country by 247Sports' composite rankings. James didn't exactly earn his way into the rotation with his play in Arizona's exhibition games, either.

It's fairly normal for a 3-star freshman to not get any playing time early in their career, especially in a game like Monday's.

The Wildcats were going up against one of the best teams in the country, looking to make a statement to begin the year. Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd used just eight players against the Gators, so he didn't exactly go deep into the rotation.

While he didn't get any minutes on Monday, Arizona has a few buy games in November and December that should be lopsided enough to get him into the game.

James knew he wasn't going to be a key player on Arizona's roster as a freshman. He's just looking to develop his game before eventually finding a spot in the rotation.

"Tommy (Lloyd) said that he's all about player development," James told reporters in September. "So, he doesn't really care if you come in here and you're maybe not doing so good your first couple years. He's all about development, so just getting better in practice every day, getting stronger in the weight room."