Is Bryce James playing in NCAA Tournament? Explaining Arizona freshman's status for March Madness

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Is Bryce James playing in NCAA Tournament? Explaining Arizona freshman's status for March Madness originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Arizona received ideal NCAA Tournament news on Sunday night.

After a strong regular season (29 overall record, 16-1 Big 12 record) and showing in the Big 12 tournament (champions), the Wildcats earned the No. 1 seed in the West region and will face 16th-seeded LIU in the Round of 64 on Friday.

The Wildcats have plenty of notable contributors on their roster, including the son of Los Angeles star forward LeBron James, Bryce.

Considering the 6-foot-5 freshman has yet to appear in a game with the Wildcats this year, it makes sense why many are eager to know if he’ll be available for the NCAA Tournament.

Is Bryce James playing in the NCAA Tournament?​

No, James will not compete in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. With James being a developmental player who isn’t prepared to make impactful contributions, Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd elected to redshirt him for the 2025-26 college basketball season.

"The redshirting decision was just a long play, to give Bryce the most options in his career as his career unfolds," Lloyd said on Feb. 3. "I have 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 just physically maturing."

James was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and was a long shot to earn significant playing time as a freshman, given that Jaden Bradley, Brayden Burries, and Anthony Dell’Orso possess win-now/more well-rounded skill sets.

James will serve as a spectator in the Big Dance, but there’s a chance he could be an integral part of the Wildcats’ system next year with significant improvements.

More college basketball: Did Miami (Ohio) make the NCAA Tournament? RedHawks learn March Madness fate on Selection Sunday

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