John Calipari wants Daimion Collins to demand playing time: "Play me."

In seven SEC games, Daimion Collins has played a total of 26 minutes and scored just four points. He’s played over ten minutes just once (High Point) since December 7 after starting the year with double-digit minutes in six of Kentucky’s first eight games.

The freshman forward came in as a consensus top-20 prospect seen as one of the top high-potential recruits in high school basketball. In recent weeks, though, Collins has fallen out of the rotation almost entirely.

Opportunities have certainly been limited, but that doesn’t mean long-term optimism has waned regarding his future at Kentucky, potentially sooner rather than later.

“He’s great, he’s working extremely hard,” UK associate coach Orlando Antigua said Monday. “He’s getting extra lifts in working with Rob Harris, the strength and conditioning coach. Working on his nutrition, getting extra reps in with the coaches. He’s unique, he can play multiple positions. He’s got a lot of learning, a lot of growing in terms of knowing both positions at the five or at the four.”

Through 17 games, Collins is averaging 3.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 9.9 minutes per contest. He’s shown flashes of brilliance, throwing down highlight dunks and swatting away shots with his absurd length. On the flip side, he’s also still extremely raw offensively and remains a step behind defensively.

Midway through the season, the Kentucky coaching staff is hoping to turn that potential into production.

“We’re trying to help him along, make sure that learning curve is expedited so we can utilize his abilities,” Antigua added. “He’s really, really talented, we know that we need him.”

UK head coach John Calipari sees the light at the end of the tunnel with Collins, and he’s pushing the freshman forward to run through it. He wants him to start demanding playing time and prove what he can do on the floor.

“I made Daimion Collins, in front of his teammates, tell me, ‘Coach, play me. I’m ready. Just give me a chance.’ I made him say that in front of the team,” Calipari said during his call-in radio show Monday. “Now, why did I make him do that? It’s off of me. Who’s it on? It’s on him. ‘Say it again.’ ‘Say what?’ … ‘Put me in coach. I’m ready. I will show you.’ Say it.”