Tommy Lloyd explains why Bryce James earned unexpected start for Arizona basketball

The Arizona Wildcats took the floor on Tuesday for an exhibition showdown against the Dons of San Francisco, doing so without projected starting power forward RJ Godfrey, who remains ineligible amid an ongoing legal battle with the NCAA.

Rather than going with freshman Cameron Holmes, or even a two-point guard lineup with Derek Dixon and JJ Mandaquit, coach Tommy Lloyd opted to give redshirt guard Bryce James the start instead.

James appeared in two exhibition games last year before redshirting, making this his first career start - although he started two of Arizona's three games in Lithuania this summer as well.

Why Tommy Lloyd started Bryce James

Mar 25, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Bryce James (6) shoots the basketball during a practice session ahead of the west regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lloyd was asked about the decision to start James - the youngest son of Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James - after Arizona's 93-69 win on Tuesday.

“I didn’t want to overthink it," Lloyd said. "Bryce has had a good fall for us and continues to grow as a player, and I think starting Bryce, I just felt like kind of maybe puts the rotation in the right way and maybe have some good impactful guys coming off the bench. I just kind of wanted to see how that looked and felt today."

James made the decision look smart right out of the gate, drilling a three less than 30 seconds into Arizona's eventual win over San Francisco. He finished with three points on 1-3 shooting, along with one steal, one turnover, and one foul in 14 minutes.

While he drew the start, James finished just eighth on the team in minutes behind Krivas, Kharchenkov, Holt, Dixon, Holmes, Mandaquit, and Maksim Brnovic.

What Bryce James' role could look like at Arizona

James was one of seven freshmen in Arizona's electric 2025 class, alongside Koa Peat, Brayden Burries, Ivan Kharchenkov, Dwayne Aristode, Mabil Mawut, and Sidi Gueye. The 6'4 guard played at Sierra Canyon High School like his brother Bronny and was a 4-star recruit ranked No. 324 in the 247Sports composite rankings. He picked Arizona over offers from Ohio State and Duquesne.

Mar 19, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers forward RJ Godfrey (0) participates in a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Should Godfrey get eligible, he's almost certainly going to start alongside Krivas in the frontcourt, with Kharchenkov, Holt, and Dixon making up the three guard spots. Even if Godfrey isn't available, Lloyd could go with Holmes or Mandaquit over James once the season officially begins.

“We’re figuring that all out," Lloyd said of his lineup and rotation. "There’s been a lot of moving parts, so it’s just kind of figuring out what’s going to put the pieces in the right place, and what you think might be that answer today might not be the answer in three weeks from now. So just keeping an open mind and trying a few things, and then kind of evaluating them and then making decisions moving forward.”

Starter or not, James is expected to fill a rotation role this season for Arizona - where his outside shooting and willingness to do the dirty work will endear him to the Wildcat faithful.

The next chance to see James and Arizona is Friday, Oct. 16, when the Wildcats host San Diego State in another exhibition battle. The game is set to tip off at 7:00 PM MST and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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