John Calipari says Kentucky smiled at the chance to face Bryce Hopkins again

On3 imageby:Sam Gillenwater•03/13/23•

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Well…This could get awkward. After Friday night’s loss in the SEC Tournament, many Kentucky faithful were happy to just move on from it and get to the NCAA Tournament. However, the committee gave them a big storyline to deal with instead as the No. 6 seeded Wildcats were matched up with the No. 11 seeded Providence Friars and, in turn, former UK player Bryce Hopkins, who has blossomed into a star in Rhode Island.

Still, John Calipari says he and his team have nothing but love for Hopkins as a former teammate and friend. He credited the UK transfer for his breakout this season and said the current Wildcats were excited about the opportunity to cross paths with him again.

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“Bryce is such a great kid and he’s a terrific basketball player. And he had an unbelievable year for them. So the guys smiled,” Calipari said. “The guys all know him, we all like him. It’s a player out there that we enjoyed being around. He is a wonderful person and so is his family.”

Hopkins averaged just over six minutes per game during 28 games played at Kentucky as a freshman. In that limited time, the former four-star out of Oak Park, Illinois averaged just 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds. Considering his limited role, he elected to not wait his turn any longer in Lexington and committed to play for Ed Cooley out of the transfer portal.

From there, it’s been nothing but upside for Hopkins. In 32 appearances at Providence this season, he averaged 16.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 45.7% shooting from the field and 37.8% shooting from three in just under 35 minutes per game. That production earned him a spot on the All-Big East First Team.

Now, this matchup between former player and former home will have a ton of pressure on it. For Hopkins, he’ll surely want to put on a show against the team that never truly gave him a chance. For Calipari and Kentucky, though, there’s now the fear of getting sent home by one that got away.