Bryce James returned to the court Wednesday night, once again playing for Sierra Canyon High School (Chatsworth, California), after a pair of transfers leading into his junior season. James logged 15 minutes and scored six points off the bench with three assists, two steals and one block in the commanding 86-24 win over Moorpark High School at home. Savannah James, Bryce's mother, was sitting courtside while his dad, LeBron James, was playing in a game of his own as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons 133-107 on the road.
James, a 6-foot-4 guard, has had an interesting path back to Sierra Canyon after leaving the program in June. He initially transferred to Campbell Hall High School (Studio City, California) where he played a few tournaments in the summer. Then, he transferred again in August to Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks, California). James played a handful of games during the fall alongside Mercy Miller, a Houston commit and the son of rapper Master P, before deciding that he would return to Sierra Canyon for his junior season.
Many may wonder why James transferred twice before electing to return to Sierra Canyon. A lot of it had to do with the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section deeming James ineligible for transferring within Sierra Canyon's conference and he would have had to sit out half of the season at Notre Dame. With his transfer back to Sierra Canyon, he was ruled eligible immediately due to the CIF Southern Section's A-B-A rule.
Bryce's older bother, Bronny, played all four years at Sierra Canyon and Bryce saw limited minutes as a sophomore. Bronny started every game and was even named a McDonald's All-American and played in the Nike Hoop Summit to close out his senior season before heading to USC.
Bryce is returning to a familiar offensive system under head coach Andre Chevalier and is playing with some of his closest friends and teammates from the AAU circuit and Sierra Canyon’s team last year.
“It’s really great to have Bryce back,” teammate Justin Pippen told Yahoo Sports. “He opens the floor up for better spacing and is an additional threat along the perimeter. He plays the right way, and we’re all really excited he’s back on the team.”
Pippen, the youngest son of Scottie Pippen, is one of the biggest risers in the senior class after growing three inches over the summer (now 6-4) and polished his outside game. Pippen’s most recent offers are Stanford, Texas A&M and UC Santa Barbara. He is focusing on the high school season before he plans any official visits. Pippen led all players with 19 points in the win and has combined for 43 points in the last two games.
James’ AAU teammate, Bryce Cofield, is also on the team and the pair are hoping to carry over their on-court chemistry from the summer to Sierra Canyon this season. Cofield, a 6-5 junior guard, finished with 18 points in the win.
Rounding out the talented backcourt is Arkansas commit Isaiah Elohim, who is an explosive guard and has phenomenal touch around the rim. Elohim is still sidelined with a minor injury but will add immediate athleticism and playmaking when he returns.
James has taken two known unofficial visits to Ohio State and USC and also holds an offer from Duquesne.
Sierra Canyon is now 5-0 and will travel to Arizona for the Hoophall West this weekend. The team will face Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Arizona) on Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET.