Arizona’s Bryce James Sends Message After Transfer Portal Decision on Wednesday

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Arizona’s Bryce James Sends Message After Transfer Portal Decision on Wednesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Apr 29, 2026 2:57 PM ET

Bryce James watched on as Brayden Burries and the Arizona Wildcats fell short of national championship expectations during the 2025-26 college basketball season. After finishing the regular season with a 32-2 record, including 16-2 in Big 12 play, Arizona earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, only to fall to the eventual champion Michigan Wolverines in the Final Four.

James, despite being the son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, did not see any action during his freshman season, electing to redshirt. Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd noted that the decision “was just a long play, to give Bryce the most options in his career as it unfolds.” And while Lloyd has high hopes for the guard moving forward, one of James’ former high school teammates has already made a change to his basketball future.

Arizona Wildcats guard Bryce James (6).Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Bryce Cofield, a 6-foot-6 freshman guard out of Sierra Canyon High School (Chatsworth, California), was a three-star prospect in the recruiting class of 2025 (247Sports Composite). He ranked as the 296th-best overall prospect in his class, along with the 58th-best small forward and the 26th-best from the state of California. Cofield also spent his final two high school seasons alongside James.

Cofield spent his first college basketball season with the Cal State Fullerton Titans, helping the team secure an 18-16 record, placing third in the Big West. And in 34 games played during his freshman year, including 22 starts, Cofield averaged 10.1 points on 46.2% shooting, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. But following the 2025-26 season, Cofield decided it was time for a change, entering his name into the college basketball transfer portal.

And on Wednesday, Cofield announced his basketball future, committing to Cal State Fullerton's Big West rival, the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners.

"#committed," Cofield wrote on Instagram with numerous photos of himself in Cal State Bakersfield gear.

James took notice of his former high school teammate’s transfer decision, showing support for Cofield by sharing the post on his Instagram story, along with commenting, “Yeahhhhh.”