Three-star shooting guard Bryce James, the youngest son of Lakers superstar LeBron James and the younger brother of Lakers rookie Bronny James, announced on Wednesday he has committed to the Arizona Wildcats. The 17-year-old James chose Arizona over reported offers from Duquesne and Ohio State.
James plays for Sierra Canyon in California and has long been on the national radar as a high-major prospect. At 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, both Duquesne and Ohio State offered him early in the process, while Arizona entered the picture later in the process and wooed him on a recent unofficial visit.
Under coach Tommy Lloyd, Arizona has consistently put together one of the most high-octane offenses in college basketball, which likely served as a big appeal to James. 247Sports' Jason Scheer also reports that James was drawn to Lloyd's player development and the overall patience within the program committed to that end.
"Sources tell WildcatAuthority.com that one of the main reasons why James was drawn to Arizona is Tommy Lloyd's ability to develop players and his patience with that process," Scheer wrote. "James recently took an unofficial to Arizona and came away impressed with the overall campus and approach of the program.
James has good but not spectacular size and a well-rounded skill set that has him ranked by 247Sports as the No. 47 overall player in the Class of 2025 at the shooting guard spot. Here's what 247Sports' Adam Finkelstein wrote of James' talents after scouting him in 2023.
Bryce James is the son of Lebron James and that means, like his older brother Bronny, he's under the microscope. Bryce needs to be given time and space to run his own race though. He may not be the dynamic athlete or playmaker some expect at first, but he is a fundamentally sound player with solid perimeter size and a good early skill-set. He possesses clear shooting potential with naturally soft touch, compact release, and the ability to make both threes and pull-ups. His left hand is advanced for his age and he also has a good early understanding of the game. Physically, he has a solid build for an underclassman, but is still just growing into his body a bit and so far from a finished product.
With James in the fold, Arizona's 2025 class now has two commitments with he and Dwayne Aristode, which ranks No. 50 in the Team Rankings. Arizona is also still in the mix to land several other high-profile targets which includes five-stars Koa Peat and Brayden Burries.
