Bryce James will not be making his college basketball debut until next year.
Arizona basketball coach Tommy Lloyd shared on Tuesday to reporter Chancellor Johnson that James has officially decided to redshirt his freshman season. Lloyd said in November that redshirting was a possibility for James, and they are now going through with that option.
“The redshirting decision was a long play to give Bryce the most options in his career as his career unfolds,” Lloyd explained to Johnson.
Bryce James Update 🏀:
— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) February 3, 2026
It’s a redshirt year for LeBron James’ youngest son and Tommy Lloyd can already see the growth:
“Bryce has made huge progress. I have a real strong believe that Bryce will be a contributor at Arizona in the near future.” pic.twitter.com/l5iVbU8Ivl
“Bryce has made huge progress,” Lloyd added. “He’s been with us through the summer and now. ... I have a real strong belief that Bryce will be a contributor at Arizona in the near future. He’s really shown a lot of progress, not only learning our system but physically maturing.”
James has not appeared in a game for the 22–0 Wildcats, who are the No. 1 ranked team in the nation. Lloyd explained back in November that James would have already appeared in blowout games if it didn’t affect his ability to redshirt. A college basketball player cannot redshirt if they’ve appeared in a game, and Lloyd didn’t want to jeopardize James’s chance to do that as he looks to give him “the most options in his college basketball career longterm.”
This signifies James will likely take a different path than his brother Bronny, who saw time on the court as a freshman at USC before heading to the NBA. The younger James appears primed to stay at Arizona for next year and likely make his debut on the court in 2026–27w.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arizona Basketball Coach Tommy Lloyd Shares Bryce James’s Official Status for Season.
