Father of Kentucky forward Daimion Collins, Ben, passes away

Kentucky head coach John Calipari shared sad news on Tuesday night. The father of Wildcats forward Daimion Collins, Ben Collins, has unexpectedly passed away. Daimion announced the news on his own private social media page as well.

Calipari sent out a tweet, asking Big Blue Nation to keep the Collins family in their thoughts and prayers. Kentucky will do “everything we can” to support the sophomore forward as he goes through a difficult time.

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“We are saddened by the loss of Ben Collins,” Calipari said via Twitter. “He was a loving father & husband who wanted the best for his family. It’s been a really rough day for the team, staff and the basketball family but we will do everything we can to support the Collins family through this difficult time.

“We ask that you please keep Daimion, his family and everyone who loved Ben in your thoughts and prayers.”

Kyle Tucker of The Athletic revealed the Collins family had recently gotten a place in Lexington, hoping to watch Daimion play the 2022-2023 season with the Wildcats. He called them a “very, very tight family.”

“Daimion Collins’ dad recently got a place here in Lexington to be near his son during this big season for the sophomore forward,” Tucker said via Twitter. “Very, very tight family. Just such a sad day for them. Peace and comfort to Daimion, his mom and his sister.”

Collins and his family are from Atlanta, Texas, and was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. He made the decision to play for Kentucky in order to make the step to the next level. His sophomore season is viewed as a big one, hoping to be the latest Calipari player to play in the NBA.