Bryce James’ girlfriend, Sadie Johnson, turned up for Arizona’s matchup with LIU on Friday in a unique style, sporting a custom sweater bearing James’ face. She posted pictures of herself in the sweater on her Instagram story, showing her in the arena.
James is perhaps the most famous player on the Wildcats’ roster. However, the freshman hasn’t seen any game time in the Wildcats’ colors this season. That isn’t about to change with March Madness already underway, but it’s not stopping Johnson from showing up for her boyfriend.
It is unclear when the couple started dating. However, they have shared posts about each other as far back as October, when Bryce James reposted a picture with her, which was captioned “BF day ❤️.”
Even before Friday, Johnson has constantly shown support for the Wildcats on account of James being there. When the program won the Big 12 regular season title weeks ago, she reposted a story from the program’s official Instagram account.
Arizona beat Iowa State 73-57 at McKale Center on Monday, Mar. 3, to secure the Big 12 regular season title. The team won the conference tournament title two weeks later, beating Houston 79-74 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
Why is Bryce James not playing for Arizona in the NCAA Tournament?
Bryce James is not featuring in Arizona’s March Madness run because he is redshirting his freshman season. This is the same reason he has not played for the Wildcats this season, in order to prevent this season from counting against his eligibility.
There have been speculations about James’ absence earlier in the season, with many suggesting he is redshirting the season. However, the plan was only confirmed in February during an interview by Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd.
“The redshirting decision was just a long play, to give Bryce the most options in his career as his career unfolds,” said Lloyd. “I have a real strong belief that Bryce will be a contributor at Arizona in the near future. He’s really shown a lot of progress, not only learning our system but just physically maturing.”
Lloyd’s comment allays concerns about James’ future with the Wildcats. The reference to his potential role as a “contributor in the near future” shows he’s in the coach’s future plans.
The Wildcats are through to the NCAA Tournament’s second round, where they will face Utah State on Sunday.
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Edited by Kayode Akinwumi
