Tommy Lloyd hasn’t been shy about leaning on his starters early this season, and Bryce James has stayed in the opening five even if the box score hasn’t exactly screamed for it.
Through Arizona’s first three games, about 82% of the team’s 269 points have come from the starting five. But the scoring load has been concentrated even further than that.
Of the 220 points produced by the starting group’s regular quartet of Ivan Kharchenkov, Mo Krivas, Caleb Holt, and Dennis Dixon, 212 have come from those four alone. James, meanwhile, has scored just eight points in 35 total minutes while starting all three games.
That hasn’t changed Lloyd’s approach. Even though JJ Mandaquit and Cameron Holmes have been logging more minutes, James has remained in the starting lineup since the exhibition slate and through the first two weeks of the regular season.
On Tuesday night against Northern Arizona, James played 13 minutes and finished with three points on 1-3 shooting, along with two assists, two steals, and one blocked shot. It was a low-profile line, but one that fit the role Lloyd says he wants from him.
“He’s growing,” Lloyd said after the game. “You see him kind of more comfortable making hustle plays and connecting the dots here and there.
That’s kind of what he’s out there to do. I know Bryce can make the three, but I like all the other stuff that he’s developing.”
The numbers back up that broader impact. James is eighth on the team in minutes, yet he’s third in steals and tied for fourth in assists. He’s giving Arizona value without needing the offense to run through him.
The 6'5 guard, the youngest son of NBA superstar LeBron James, came to Tucson as a 3-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon High School and was ranked No. 283 in the 2025 class composite rankings at 247Sports. He redshirted last year, and that season has helped set him up to contribute now.
His place in the starting lineup is tied in part to Arizona’s frontcourt situation. RJ Godfrey remains ineligible while his eligibility fight continues.
The 6'7 Clemson transfer is suing the Arizona Board of Regents, not the NCAA, seeking a judge’s approval for a TRO or injunction that would force the school to certify him as eligible. A hearing was held Tuesday, but no ruling came down, and a follow-up was set for Nov.
- That means Godfrey will remain out for Arizona’s road game against Auburn on Friday.
Lloyd said the team hasn’t “made any final long-term decisions on the starting lineup,” but Godfrey’s return would almost certainly change the picture. He would be expected to start right away with Krivas and Kharchenkov in the frontcourt, which would send James to the second unit with Holmes, Mandaquit, and Brnovic.
That would trim James’ starting role, but not necessarily his overall place in the rotation. As long as he keeps defending and knocking down open threes, he still looks like part of the mix. And for a roster that has been thin beyond its starters, that matters.
Arizona’s next test comes Friday, Nov. 13, on the road at Auburn. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM MST, and the game will air on ESPN2.
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