Will Bryce James Redshirt 2025-26 CBB Season? Arizona HC Discusses Possibility

Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd has told reporters that redshirting freshman Bryce James is a possibility this season.

James has yet to see the court this season despite Arizona blowing out Utah Tech (93-67) and Northern Arizona (84-49) as part of its 3-0 start.

"No final decisions have been made," Lloyd told reporters after Tuesday's win over Northern Arizona. "It's tough. It puts you in a tough situation. You play Bryce in a game like this 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, he or Mabil [Mawut], a few garbage minutes—it might feel good now, but potentially down the line it could be something you regret."

Another benefit of redshirting James is that it might temporarily alleviate the level of scrutiny that comes with being LeBron James' son, much as Bronny James has faced in his young career. If either player had a different last name, they likely wouldn't receive this level of media attention.

That's not as big of a deal for a player who is actually getting minutes or thriving on the court. But it does become a bit more of an annoying situation for everyone involved when the player isn't getting minutes and the staff and players hear persistent questions about when that might happen. Think Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland.

James was a 3-star recruit in the Class of 2025, while Arizona added two 5-stars (Brayden Burries, Koa Peat), two 4-stars (Dwayne Aristode, Ivan Kharchenkov) and transfer Evan Nelson. Jaden Bradley, Anthony Dell'Orso, Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas also returned. Lloyd has preferred an eight-man rotation of Peat, Bradley, Dell'Orso, Burries, Awaka, Aristode, Krivas and Kharchenkov, with sparing minutes in garbage time minutes during blowouts for a few other players.

James hasn't been one of them, and it seems unlikely he will be. At this point, a redshirt is probably the best move for all parties involved.