Arizona’s first exhibition of the 2026-27 season offered an early look at two of the most talked-about names in college basketball - and the Wildcats didn’t waste time putting Bryce James in the starting lineup.
James, the youngest son of LeBron James, got the first start of his Arizona career in the Wildcats’ 93-69 win over San Francisco on Tuesday. He opened by hitting a corner 3-pointer, then finished with three points and a steal in 14 minutes. It was his first start after appearing in two exhibition games during the 2025-26 season, when he redshirted as a freshman.
Coach Tommy Lloyd said the choice to start James was straightforward.
"I didn't want to overthink it," Lloyd said. "Bryce has had a good fall for us and continues to grow as a player.
I think starting Bryce kinda puts the rotation in the right way and maybe have some good impactful guys coming off the bench. I kinda wanted to see how that looked and felt today.
I don't know what I'm going to do Friday (against San Diego State). ... Again, I'm not going to overthink that one.
It's the first few minutes of a 40-minute game."
James wasn’t the only Arizona player in a new role. Clemson transfer RJ Godfrey sat out the exhibition, and his status is still unclear with the season less than three weeks away. If he is cleared, he projects as Arizona’s starting power forward.
James, meanwhile, has already given Arizona glimpses of what he can be. He started two of the program’s three games on its Lithuanian tour earlier this summer, and he appears headed for a rotation spot on a roster expected to contend for the Big 12 title.
That roster is loaded, and it starts with Caleb Holt.
The No. 3 player in the 2026 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports made his first appearance against college competition and looked every bit like a future star. Holt is projected to be in the early mix for the 2027 NBA Draft, and Arizona’s 17-point, five-rebound, two-assist, three-steal night only strengthened that case. He shot 6 of 10 from the field and went 4 for 4 at the line in 28 minutes.
One sequence in particular jumped off the floor: early in the second half, Holt picked off a pass near the 3-point line, pushed the ball the other way and finished through contact in transition. At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, he used his size and power to win the play against a bigger defender.
"Caleb is really motivated to be a great all-around player," Lloyd said. "And to really understand the nuances of the game.
He has really shouldered the heavy burden on his own of trying to learn. You are talking about a guy who has risen through the ranks at the highest levels of high school basketball and international basketball with his effort and raw instincts.
Now he's trying to refine himself a little bit. ... He's a really skilled and unique player."
Arizona’s opening night picture is still taking shape, but the Wildcats have two more scrimmages before the real thing - San Diego State on Friday and Eastern Washington on Oct. 23.
Then comes UCLA in Las Vegas to open the 2026-27 season, a matchup that will put Holt across from another elite freshman, UCLA’s Nikola Kusturica. Holt may be headed for the 2027 NBA Draft, but Kusturica won’t be eligible for this summer’s draft because of the NBA’s age requirement.
In Other News...
Arizonas Young Talent Just Made One Early Statement
Arizonas exhibition win over San Francisco offered an early glimpse of how much young talent could shape this group. At McKale Center, the Wildcats rolled to a 93-69 victory, and the tone was set early by a pair of freshmen and a team that never let the visitors settle in. Arizona stayed comfortably ahead for most of the night, turning San Franciscos mistakes into easy points and using that edge to keep the game under control.
Caleb Holt looked every bit like a player who will matter right away, finishing with 17 points, while Motiejus Krivas did plenty of his damage before halftime with 16 points. For a team still finding its rhythm in the preseason, that kind of contribution from young players is the kind of development Arizona wants to see. The bigger question now is how far this new-look group can carry that early momentum once the games count for real. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Fans Have Every Reason To Question This Ivan Kharchenkov Omission
All four of last years Final Four teams had a major freshmen-to-sophomore presence, and that trend showed up again in Andy Katzs preseason look at the nations best returning sophomores. Three of the top spots went to familiar names from those Final Four clubs, which made it a little more surprising from an Arizona perspective that Ivan Kharchenkov was not part of the conversation at all, even after he has already shown plenty to like in the early going.
Kharchenkov is expected to be a real offensive piece for Arizona this season, and he has already given the Wildcats a glimpse of why. In the exhibition win over San Francisco, he finished with 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, a line that suggests there is more here than just preseason buzz. Arizona will get another measuring stick soon enough with an exhibition against San Diego State, and Kharchenkov should have another chance to make the omission look a lot stranger. [Read more 🡒]