Bryce James Immediately Eligible To Play After Transfer Back To Sierra Canyon

Bryce James is transferring back to Sierra Canyon after starting the 2023 fall semester at Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks.

The youngest son of LeBron James officially unenrolled from Notre Dame early Tuesday, according to sources, handing in all of his school and basketball equipment.

James reportedly is headed back to Chatsworth, where he played his freshman and sophomore seasons. Originally, he decided to move on from Sierra Canyon after playing summer basketball with Campbell Hall and competing with the Vikings at Section 7 in Arizona. Then, in August he transferred again to Notre Dame, where he began the fall semester as part of the basketball team.

However, just three months into his Notre Dame career, he’s decided to go back home, where he will be eligible to play immediately, according to CIF Southern Sections’s A-B-A rule.

How Soon Will Bryce James Be Eligible To Play?

When James transferred to Notre Dame, he was ruled ineligible to play for half of the season due to transfer rules. Only a valid change of residence makes a student-athlete eligible immediately. Unfortunately, the James family did not move, meaning that Bryce would half to sit out for half of Notre Dame’s season, which began on Nov. 13.

The transfer back to Sierra Canyon, where Bryce was originally eligible to play, allows him to resume his eligibility immediately since he has not appeared in a Notre Dame game this season.

How soon James will return to the floor will likely depend on his ability to reacclimate himself to his former coaches and teammates. According to Tarek Fattal, James could be eligible to step on the floor as early as next week.

James’ Transfer Was Strategic From The Start

As a member of Sierra Canyon, Bryce split time between the junior varsity and varsity teams. He averaged 3.8 points per game in 12 varsity appearances for the Trailblazers as a sophomore before his original departure. However, moving on from Sierra Canyon appeared to be a strategic move for the youngest son in the James family. Bryce had one of the most promising summers of any player in his class, earning himself a four-star rating while moving up the recruiting rankings for the Class of 2025. Currently, James has offers from the likes of Duquesne and Ohio State with more offers likely to follow.

At On3, James is ranked the 76th-best recruit in his class and No. 20 at his projected shooting guard position. Not all industry outlets agree though. While he owns an overall 94 scouting grade at On3, 247Sports has Bryce listed with an 86 scouting grade while ESPN has him even lower at 81.

Despite the discrepancies, James is still considered a top-10 prospect in the state of California and will likely be able to choose where he goes to college, thanks in large part to having one of the biggest NIL valuations in college basketball. James’ NIL value is currently estimated at $1.2 million, according to On3.