Bryce didn't speak to reporters at the Final Four, but his teammates had plenty to say about the redshirt freshman
By Cameron Salerno Apr 3, 2026 at 11:33 am ET • 4 min read 
Imagn Images INDIANAPOLIS -- Arizona freshman Bryce James is a popular interview request these days. It's been that way from the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament to the Final Four this week in Indianapolis. When you're the son of LeBron James, you are bound to draw eyeballs.
James didn't speak to reporters Thursday ahead of Arizona's matchup against Michigan this weekend in the national semifinals. Tucked away in the Wildcat locker room on Thursday, an Arizona staffer was shielding the media away from James. CBS Sports approached James last month after Arizona's win over Utah State in the second round, but an Arizona staffer said James would not be doing any interviews.
Players who are redshirting and/or injured don't have to talk to the media, but they can if they choose to. When reporters approached him on Thursday during media day at the Final Four, they were also quickly turned down. Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said earlier this week the program wants to "protect" James during his redshirt season.
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"We are going to give Bryce the space and opportunity to develop into a young man like everybody else," Lloyd said. "We also understand there is certain scrutiny that comes with who he is. We just want to protect him. ... I think he's going to develop into a good enough player to play at Arizona. That would be a kick-ass story. That's a story I want to be part of. I'm not trying to be part of a media circus."
Although James didn't speak, his teammates inside the Arizona locker room did. That helped to peel back the curtain of James' personality that not many on the outside know about.
"He's a down to earth kinda guy," Arizona star freshman Koa Peat told CBS Sports. "He's a jokester. That's my boy for life. I love him. He's misunderstood, obviously. People are going to have different perceptions about him. But he's just a regular kid. He likes doing regular stuff. He's a really good kid and a hard worker. I'm really proud of him."
How James played a role in Arizona's elite recruiting class
James committed to Arizona on New Year's Day in 2025, just a few months before Peat and Brayden Burries pledged to play for the Wildacts. After James committed to Arizona, he went to work -- like many recruits do -- in helping recruit Peat and Burries to play with him.
"He hit me up and told me to go to school together," Peat said. "So obviously, yeah. When guys like that come to Arizona, it's super cool. It definitely could have an impact on your recruitment for sure."
Burries and James were teammates long before they became roommates at Arizona this season. They played together in high school on LeBron's "Strive for Greatness" AAU team. Burries and James are both hoopers from Southern California, making their bond even stronger.
Bryce James with teammates Koa Peat and Brayden Burries Getty Images "Playing with him was fun," Burries said. "We talked to each other and then he committed, and I was considering Arizona. He was telling me, 'Yo, come to Arizona.' (He influenced the commitment) a little bit, yeah. That's my roommate. I'm with him every day, all day."
Arizona's 2025 recruiting class, which included James, Burries, Peat and Ivan Kharchenkov, ranked No. 2 in the 247Sports team rankings, only behind Duke.
Why is Bryce redshirting?
Lloyd made it clear from the very start of Arizona's season that James would not play this season. After Arizona's third game, Lloyd addressed how a redshirt year would be on the table. Due to NCAA rules, if a player logs even a single minute in a game, their redshirt year is burned. With Arizona having one of the deepest rosters in the sport, a viable path to immediate playing time wasn't in the cards for James.
Behind the scenes, James is working hard to be an impactful player for Arizona as soon as next season. With Burries and Jaden Bradley likely off to the NBA this summer, more minutes will be available in Arizona's guard rotation starting next season.
"He's a killer man," Peat said. "He's going to be really good next year. He's working hard, working hard in the weight room as well. I'm really proud of his progress so far. Bryce is going to be really good for us."
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Above all else, James has bragging rights over his NBA Champion father and older brother, Bronny. Bryce is the only member of his family to be part of a Final Four roster. Of course, LeBron skipped college and went directly to the NBA, while Bronny's USC squad missed the NCAA Tournament in his lone season of college basketball.
"I'm happy for him, but I definitely made the right decision (not to play in college)," LeBron said earlier this week. "I cut three nets in the state championship, and that was enough for me. I'm good, that was good."
So, even if James didn't speak on Thursday in Indianapolis, his teammates paint a clear picture of him. He's an 18-year-old kid who is still trying to navigate his way through college. Even with the label of the son of one of the greatest basketball players of all time, you would never know it when talking to his teammates.
"He's a great person and a humble guy," Burries said. "Very respectful. If you went up to him, you wouldn't even know who he is. You would know him as a respectful guy, a very funny guy. He's kinda like me in a way. If you know him and you're close with him, whoever is in his circle, he will talk to you. But he's not going to go out of his way to make a big deal."
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