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Bryce James may not play a single minute of college basketball this season - as his coach is mulling whether or not to redshirt him.
James, 18, committed to a stacked Arizona squad earlier this year as a three-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon High School. He's yet to play in the Wildcats' first three games against Florida, Utah Tech and Northern Arizona.
And while Arizona beat their in-state foes by a comfortable 35-point margin on Tuesday, head coach Tommy Lloyd explained that he didn't give James playing time because redshirting was 'on the table' for him.
'No final decisions have been made,' Lloyd told reporters. 'It's tough. It puts you in a tough situation. You play Bryce in a game like this [versus 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.'
While college football players can play up to four games in a season and still redshirt, the rule is not the same for basketball, where a single minute counts as a year of eligibility.
Bryce James 18, is yet to play a minute for the Arizona Wildcats this season
The middle child of Lebron and Savannah James may end up redshirting in his freshman year
Bryce was seen warming up on the court before his team's game against Northern Arizona
Lloyd explained that both James and fellow freshman Mabil Mawut were not playing for that reason.
'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,' Lloyd continued. 'Throwing a kid with a lot of potential that's developing, he or Mabil, a few garbage minutes - it might feel good now, but potentially down the line it could be something you regret.'
Bryce, the middle child of James and his wife Savannah, was seen on the court warming up ahead of Arizona's win on Tuesday night.
The start of his college career comes two years after his older brother, Bronny, played a single season for USC.
Bronny went on to average 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Trojans in 25 games.
He then chose to move on from the college ranks, before he was selected No. 55 in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Lakers.
With his dad currently out injured with sciatica, Bronny has played 12.1 minutes per night for LA while averaging 2.3 points.
Arizona, meanwhile, are off to a 3-0 start.
