As college hoops season tips off, let’s look in on familiar UK faces in new places

Fast-break points from college hoops “opening day” on Monday:

21. The “Ex-Files.” On the date when both Kyra Elzy’s and John Calipari’s 2022-23 Kentucky Wildcats basketball teams opened their seasons, it seems an appropriate time to check in on old faces we know from UK who are now in new places.

20. Dontaie Allen. After transferring to Western Kentucky, the ex-Pendleton County star came off the bench for Rick Stansbury’s Hilltoppers in exhibition wins over Montavello (93-65) and Georgetown College (88-68).

19. Getting dialed in? After going 2-of-6 and scoring eight points vs. Montavello, Allen, Kentucky’s 2019 Mr. Basketball, hit five of nine shots, three of seven three-pointers, and scored 18 points vs. Georgetown.

18. An early-season showdown. Allen and the Hilltoppers will be in Richmond on Thursday night as Western Kentucky takes on its ancient rival, Eastern Kentucky, at 7 p.m. in a game that will be streamed on ESPN Plus.

17. Devin Askew. After playing for Kentucky in 2020-21 and Texas last season, the 6-foot-3 point guard is a California Golden Bear for 2022-23. In a 62-55 exhibition win over Chico State, Askew started and made four of 14 shots, one of six treys, and finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and three turnovers.

16. Jemarl Baker. The shooting guard who signed with UK way back in 2017, is now a sixth-year player at his third school. After transferring from Kentucky to Arizona, Baker is now at Fresno State. In a 69-62 exhibition victory over Stanislaus State, Baker started and made one of six shots, zero of five three-point tries, and scored three points.

15. Keion Brooks. Last season’s starting UK power forward had a team-high 19 points and made seven of 11 shots for the Washington Huskies in a 95-64 exhibition victory over Alaska-Fairbanks.

14. Cam’Ron Fletcher. The 6-7 forward who appeared in only nine games for Kentucky in 2020-21 is about to start his second season under Leonard Hamilton at Florida State. In a 74-66 exhibition win over Newberry College, Fletcher came off the bench to hit three of nine shots and tally eight points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals.

13. Bryce Hopkins. In two exhibitions for Providence College, the ex-Cats forward was a stat stuffer. In a 99-57 win over American International College, the 6-7, 220-pound Hopkins went for 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals. During a 106-69 pasting of Assumption University, Hopkins had 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal.

12. Now a shot maker? Hopkins shot 42.9 percent last season as a lightly used UK freshman. In the two Providence exhibition games, he combined to hit 12 of 19 field goals and four of six three-point tries.

11. Zan Payne. The 6-5, 230-pound ex-Kentucky walk-on is now on the roster of UK’s archrival, the Louisville Cardinals. Of course, the reason for the transfer is so Payne can play for his dad, new U of L head man and ex-Wildcats assistant coach Kenny Payne.

10. Some run from Dad? Zan Payne, who logged 17 minutes of game action in four seasons in the Kentucky program, got a combined eight minutes of playing time in U of L’s exhibition games with Lenoir-Rhyne (a 57-47 loss) and Chaminade (an 80-73 win). He missed his only two field-goal tries, both vs. Lenoir-Rhyne.

9. Kristen Crenshaw-Gill. A walk-on for the Kentucky women’s hoops team in 2021-22, the 5-9 guard from Youngstown, Ohio, is now on the University of New Orleans roster.

8. Dre’una Edwards. The versatile forward whose three-point shot gave the Kentucky women’s basketball team its shocking 64-62 upset of No. 1 and eventual national champion South Carolina in last season’s SEC Tournament finals is now at Baylor.

7. In eligibility limbo? According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, Edwards is “currently sidelined due to an eligibility issue.” In a news release, Baylor said Edwards “is waiting on an eligibility ruling.”

6. Treasure Hunt. After an up-and-down two seasons at Kentucky, Hunt, a 2020 McDonald’s All-American, is now at Arizona State. According to Tucson.com, new ASU Coach Natasha Adair is counting on Hunt to “provide the punch on offense.”

5. Jazmine Massengill. After directing UK to the SEC tourney title, the point guard headed south to Florida State as a grad transfer. FSU will be Massengill’s third college team, after Tennessee (2018-20) and Kentucky (2020-22).

4. Olivia Owens. The former Kentucky backup center transferred to Syracuse after last season. A 6-4 product of Albany, N.Y., Owens is also on her third team after starting her career at Maryland. In Syracuse’s 73-70 exhibition escape against Le Moyne, Owens played six minutes, missed both her shot attempts and had two rebounds.

3. Kameron Roach. A super-senior, the 5-6 point guard is about to start her second season with the Charlotte 49ers. Roach spent her first four years of college — three seasons of play plus a redshirt year — as a UK reserve.

2. Erin Toller. After the former Sacred Heart Academy star parted ways with the Kentucky program before last season, she ended up staying in the Bluegrass region via a transfer to Georgetown College of the NAIA.

1. From a Cat to a Tiger. In the Tigers’ first game of the 2022-23 regular season, Toller, a 5-7 guard, started and played 28 minutes of a 66-53 loss to Indiana Tech. Toller made four of 13 shots and one of six three-point tries but made seven of 10 free throws and finished with a team-high 16 points.

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