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Bryce James, the younger son of LeBron James, will redshirt this season for No. 1 Arizona, head coach Tommy Lloyd announced Tuesday. “Bryce has made huge progress. The red-shirting decision is a long play, to give Bryce the most options as his career unfolds. I have a real strong believe that Bryce will be a contributor at Arizona in the near future,” Lloyd said per Chancellor Johnson.
Gilbert Arenas: The G League is going to be in trouble. Why would an NBA prospect go to the G League when they can go to college? G League is paying me 49,000. College is paying me a million, million and a half, 500,000. So, if I got eligibility, I'm going to search for it and I'm going to try to get it instead of playing the G League for $49,000.
Former UCLA standout Amari Bailey said he is attempting to become the first basketball player to return to college after playing in NBA games. Bailey, 21, has hired an agent and a lawyer to prepare to fight for NCAA eligibility with hopes to join a college team and play one more season.
He said he started to explore a return to college earnestly in 2025 but has wondered if there was a way back to the NCAA since the day he was drafted in 2023. He said he made some mistakes as an 18-year-old freshman and left UCLA with "a lot to prove left on the table." "Right now I'd be a senior in college," Bailey told ESPN. "I'm not trying to be 27 years old playing college athletics. No shade to the guys that do; that's their journey. But I went to go play professionally and learned a lot, went through a lot. So like, why not me?"
Bailey told ESPN that playing a few minutes in a handful of NBA games late in his rookie season isn't a good reason to treat him differently than those players. "You've got a college-aged kid who wants to go to college and you've got a system that says too bad, you've gone to a different league so you're out forever," said Elliot Abrams, Bailey's attorney. "I don't see any real justification for it."
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Former University of Kansas small forward/NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce, whose jersey No. 34 hangs in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse, is planning on attending Saturday’s Big 12 battle between KU and BYU.
“I even called Mario Chalmers to say, ‘Man, meet me there,’’’ Pierce added of the former KU and NBA guard. “Hopefully he’ll come because he’s part of a national championship that he won. He’s a legend there in Lawrence, Kansas. If you’ve got us both in the building it will be pretty dope.”
Pat Riley and other members of that 1965-66 squad, known affectionately as "Rupp's Runts," were recognized during halftime of Saturday's game versus Mississippi State at Rupp Arena. "One of the greatest experiences I've ever had was to be here in Lexington at the University of Kentucky," said Riley, who addressed the crowd at the end of the ceremony.
UK coach Mark Pope only had one in-person experience with Riley. One he'll never forget. "We were finishing shootaround, and Miami was coming in. I can’t remember if it was (a) home (game). I can’t even remember what team I was (on)," Pope said. "But there was somebody on the (Miami) team that I was kind of friendly with, so I was kind of talking to him. Like, we were laughing a little bit. And then I looked over, and Riles was standing in the tunnel, and he was peering at me like he just — his eyes were ripping a hole right through me. So, I got off the court right away. Like, he didn’t joke around, right? He’s been just one of the great leaders in this game, and he’s obviously represented the University of Kentucky in a magnificent way, and we’re blessed to have him."
Louisville unveiled special edition Adidas uniforms for both its men’s and women’s basketball teams designed by Donovan Mitchell himself. The jerseys feature Mitchell’s signature “Spida” logo, making him the first active basketball player to place his personal brand on the uniforms of his alma mater.
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The men’s team will debut them on Jan. 13 against Virginia, followed by the women’s team on Jan. 25 against Boston College. Both will feature a custom web-inspired graphic woven into the fabric, paired with the D.O.N. Issue 7 shoes.
Kiyan Anthony knows “more is expected of you when the name Anthony is on the back of your jersey,” but also that father and son are decidedly different players. Carmelo, at 6 feet 7, 240 pounds, was a gritty power forward. Kiyan is a wiry, 6-5, 185-pound guard who prefers more of a finesse game. That their skill sets, and career arcs, might not match doesn’t worry Dad. “You gotta remember, this is a kid who’s been dealing with pressure since he’s been born, with my career and his mom’s career,” Carmelo Anthony said. “Now it’s about basketball, and believing in yourself and the work you put in. At the end of the day, he knows how to play. He’s a very intelligent player, he’s young and this is a process — he understands that and we understand that.”
James Nnaji, who played with the Knicks during the summer league but was recently given college eligibility by the NCAA and joined Baylor, made his collegiate debut Saturday in the team’s loss to TCU. He played 16 minutes and recorded five points and four rebounds along with four fouls. The Knicks acquired — and still own — his draft rights from the Hornets as part of the three-team Towns trade ahead of last season.
Madison Palumbo: James Nnaji takes the court for @BaylorMBB and is booed by Schollmaier Arena @TCUBasketball Nnaji is the first player to go from being an NBA draft pick to playing college basketball. A controversial topic across the college basketball world this week. #Baylor #Jamesnnaji