© Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
The Cincinnati basketball team is expected to welcome point guard Jizzle James back to the court on Wednesday night. The news puts an end to a mysterious absence that dates back to August.
James was previously dismissed from the program to tend to a “personal matter.” No explanation was given, though his cryptic response to the situation raised eyebrows.
The Bearcats fell to 6-4 on the year after a loss to Georgia. They’re now 2-4 in the six games since their 4-0 start to the 2025-26 campaign.
They will hope the return of a productive contributor can help right the ship with conference play looming.
It is believed that James will see his first action against Alabama A&M on December 17th. It puts an end, for now, to an interesting saga that started in the summer.
Who is Jizzle James?
The point guard is the son of former NFL running back Edgerrin James. He was a four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle and enrolled at Cincinnati that June.
In Year 1 with the team, he saw action in 37 games as a role player while scoring 8.8 points per night. His scoring totals went up as a sophomore when he started 35 contests and chipped in 12.7 points per game.
Entering the offseason, the expectation was that James would make a major impact in the Bearcats’ push for the NCAA Tournament. Things got weird a few months before the opener.
Wes Miller dismissed his starting PG.
“Jizzle James has been dealing with personal issues throughout the summer,” the head coach said in an August statement.
“We removed him from the team last month. He is currently not a member of our basketball program. As this is a personal matter, I will have no further comment at this time.”
Miller would not dive into the details. He only informed the fanbase of James’s (temporary) removal from the roster.
All the while, his point guard was cryptically posting about his future in Cincinnati. At first, it appeared he’d planned to move on.
@jizzle.james / Instagram
James threatened a transfer. He also posted screenshots of a conversation with his agent suggesting a move to the G-League.
Neither came to fruition. Things got weirder when he later hinted at a return to the Bearcats.
@jizzle.james / Instagram
Was it an option? The insinuation came a week before Wes Miller’s statement on James’s dismissal.
None of it made much sense. Whatever the issue was now appears to be resolved. In the end, James made good on his promise to return.
James has been reinstated.
Miller initially disputed his guard’s suggestion about returning to the team. He did, however, leave the door open in his response. His star player took advantage.
Bearcat Journal now reports that James is planning to play against Alabama A&M this week. While he has not been a member of the team so far this year, he never left the university.
James was taking online classes while training in Texas. He returned to Cincinnati late last month to watch the team host Louisville.
He’s since stayed in town. He was in the stands to watch a win over Tarleton State. He was on the bench during the Bearcats’ most recent game vs. Georgia.
Now, his status has been elevated.
He is expected to see his first action of the year on Wednesday. Here’s to hoping he finishes off the comeback story on a strong note.