Cincinnati dismisses Jizzle James, son of Edgerrin James, from team amid ‘personal issues’

Cincinnati Bearcats starting point guard Jizzle James has been dismissed from the team as he deals with “personal issues,” coach Wes Miller said Tuesday in a statement.

“Jizzle James has been dealing with personal issues throughout the summer. We removed him from the team last month,” Miller said. “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.”

James, 20, is the son of Edgerrin James, a Hall of Fame running back who played 11 seasons in the NFL. A 6-foot-3, 195-pounder from Orlando, Fl., the younger James debuted with the Bearcats in the 2023-24 campaign, where he primarily came off the bench in a supporting role, playing 37 games while averaging 8.8 points and 2.1 assists per game.

He boosted his role last year and was Cincinnati’s top scorer and a productive playmaker, averaging 12.7 points and a team-best 3.5 assists per game. He scored a career-high 25 points against Utah last season, notching double figures in 25 of the Bearcats’ 35 games last year after primarily coming off the bench in the 2023-24 campaign.

The Bearcats won 22 games last year, finishing 7-13 in their first season of Big 12 play, ultimately missing the NCAA tournament for a sixth consecutive season.

(Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)