March Madness will reunite Bryce Hopkins and Kentucky. ‘That’s our brother for life.’
The pure joy that comes with seeing your name included in the NCAA Tournament bracket on Selection Sunday turned into a different kind of jocularity this time around.
Just moments after Kentucky was announced as the 6 seed in the East Regional on Sunday night, the Wildcats’ first-round opponent populated the line directly below theirs on the bracket, and the reaction inside John Calipari’s house was mostly you-gotta-be-kidding-me laughter.
It’s UK vs. Providence on Friday night in Greensboro, N.C., and seemingly none of the Kentucky players or coaches who gathered around the TV in Calipari’s family room needed a refresher on what that means.
The Friars’ star player is sophomore forward Bryce Hopkins.
A year ago, Hopkins was a freshman at the University of Kentucky.
Several of Hopkins’ former teammates were just left grinning and shaking their heads at each other when the matchup hit the TV screen. One of UK’s coaches excitedly yelled “B-Hop!” above the noise. Even though Hopkins is no longer a Wildcat, it’s unlikely you’ll hear a bad word about him over the next few days from anyone who was gathered in Calipari’s house Sunday night.
“Bryce is such a great kid,” the UK coach said. “And he’s a terrific basketball player. And he had an unbelievable year for them. The guys smiled — the guys that knew him. We all like him.”
Hopkins averaged just 6.4 minutes over 28 games in his first and only season with the Wildcats, going from one of the most-talked-about players on the team in the preseason to a little-used reserve by the end of the campaign. The freshman forward dealt with injuries early in the 2021-22 season, and by the time he fully recovered the Wildcats’ rotation was pretty much set.
Over the final two months of the season, he played more than five minutes in a game just once. And his promise was on full display in that one: 13 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes to help Kentucky earn a 71-66 victory over Louisiana State in Rupp Arena. He played just seven minutes total in UK’s six games after that, and he didn’t even see the court in the Wildcats’ shocking loss to Saint Peter’s in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
He should spend plenty of time on the court Friday night in Greensboro.
“It’s gonna be fun,” senior guard CJ Fredrick said. “We’re really looking forward to competing against Bryce and seeing him. He was one of our teammates. And, you know, we love him.”
Hopkins transferred to Providence last summer and immediately emerged as the Friars’ star — and one of the most-buzzed-about players in the country — as this season began.
The 6-foot-7 forward scored 18 points in his first game with his new team. In his first Big East contest, he tallied 24 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Seton Hall. Three days later, Hopkins dropped 29 points and 23 rebounds, playing 47 minutes in a double-overtime win over Marquette, which ended up winning the league and getting a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Lots of big games followed, and Hopkins now goes into March Madness averaging 16.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. And his former teammates didn’t stop paying attention.
“Even though he transferred, he still has that bond with us,” UK’s Lance Ware said Sunday night. “That’s our brother for life. And obviously he had a really good year. I’m a fan of him, and the things that he’s doing at Providence. And happy for him.”
Friars Coach Ed Cooley acknowledged after the bracket reveal that Hopkins is likely to be amped up Friday night. Not only will he be facing his former team, but he’ll be playing in his first NCAA Tournament game, after riding the bench for the duration of the Saint Peter’s loss last year.
“There’s going to be a lot going through his head,” Cooley said on CBS. “… I’ll just put my arm around him and tell him it’s OK to be excited. It’s OK. He’ll probably throw a fastball off the side of the backboard — he’ll be a little bit nervous. At the end of the day, he’s going to have an opportunity to do something, play the game he loves, to go out there and try to perform at the highest level.
“And, again, it’s divine providence that this matchup was made for television for CBS. So, prime time, it’s going to be a great, great, great game, and hopefully he plays well.”
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