Arizona freshman Bryce James has yet to see time on the court during the first three games of his time with the Wildcats. Though Arizona rolled to a dominant 84–49 victory over Northern Arizona on Tuesday, Bryce, the son of NBA legend LeBron James, did not see any action, even in garbage time.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd explained that the sole reason Bryce has not played yet is because they are leaving the option open for him to redshirt his freshman year.
“I’ve been very clear. Redshirting is on the table for him. That’s why he hasn’t played in a game yet,” Lloyd told reporters on Tuesday. “Otherwise, he would be playing some minutes in some of these games, especially at the end. We’ve had multiple conversations with Bryce about it. I think we’re on the same page.”
Lloyd noted that they have not made a final decision, but for now they are protecting his opportunity to redshirt.
“Redshirting is on the table for both [James and fellow freshman Mabil Mawut],” Lloyd also said. “No final decisions have been made, but it’s tough. 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 a lot of sense for some of these kids, but we don’t.
He continued, “I can only operate with the rules that we currently have because I want Bryce to have the best college basketball career, the most options in his college basketball career longterm, whatever that looks like. Throwing a kid with a lot of potential that’s developing in a few garbage minutes, it might feel good now, but potentially down the line it could be something you regret.”
No. 5 Arizona is currently 3–0 on the season, and will take on No. 15 UCLA and No. 3 UConn in their next two games.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arizona Basketball Coach Explains Why Bryce James Hasn’t Seen Playing Time for Wildcats.
