Bryce James’ Sideline Behavior Draws Attention Following Arizona’s Win

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sami Haider | Last updated Mar 15, 2026 5:20 PM ET

Bryce James didn't play a single minute for the Arizona Wildcats all season, but he still managed to go viral on championship night.

The 18-year-old shooting guard committed to Arizona in January 2025 and officially chose to redshirt his freshman year to focus on his physical development and long-term career options.

While fellow five-star freshmen Koa Peat and Brayden Burries became the first teammates in conference history to each score 20+ points in a Big 12 Tournament game, James remained a fixture on the bench in street clothes as part of coach Tommy Lloyd’s disciplined rotation.

Arizona Wildcats guard Bryce James (6) warms up before the start of a game.© Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

The Wildcats capped their dominant run by defeating the Houston Cougars 79–74 in the Big 12 Tournament final on Saturday. During the post-game celebration, James once again captured social media's attention with his goofy antics.

Video circulating on X captured him on the court in mismatched blue and green shoes before he struggled to pull on his red and black shorts. The former three-star recruit eventually got them on, but the awkward sequence was enough to send the internet into a frenzy.

Bryce goofy just like Bron I’m crying
(via @lexmadee) pic.twitter.com/3aIfDIG8Uz
— Overtime (@overtime) March 15, 2026

"Kid is hype for his team lol," one user wrote.

Another joked, "Shorts so tight from no playing time, gotta pull them."

A third viewer added, "Why pull the short shorts down just get longer shorts lmaoo."

The fourth one claimed, "So y'all don't see the team manager telling them to take them off? or am I tripping."

And another remarked, "Goofy goober enjoying his time on the bench."

Jokes aside, Bryce is on track to play. Coach Tommy Lloyd said in February that Bryce has made huge progress and believes he’ll be a contributor soon. With Peat and Burries likely leaving for the 2026 NBA draft as first-round picks, there should be plenty of minutes available for him next season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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