NO LONGER A BYSTANDER
PC’s Hopkins leads Friars after watching at Kentucky
“Last year, I had a different role. This year, I have a bigger role and a better opportunity. I’m going to go out and showcase my talents and hopefully come out with the win.”
PROVIDENCE – A year ago, Bryce Hopkins watched from the bench as Kentucky felt the pain of being upset in a season-ending loss to a Saint Peter’s team that went on to become the darling of the NCAA Tournament.
“It was devastating to watch. I couldn’t help my teammates,” said Hopkins about Kentucky – seeded second – falling in overtime to a No. 15 seed out of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. “You never want to get upset in the tournament, but you’ve got to be prepared to play against anybody.
“There was a lot of disappointment because we didn’t have the result we wanted. We thought we were going to go on a deep run in the tournament. We thought we had a lot of good pieces,” Hopkins delved further.
Fast forwarding to current times, Hopkins has a chance to play a pivotal role in dealing his former program – the one that recruited him out of high school – another first-round exit from college basketball’s annual March Madness production.
Life as the focal point for the Providence Friars comes face-to-face with Hopkins and his past on Friday night down in Greensboro, N.C. as John Calipari’s Wildcats serve as the opposition in a 7:10 p.m. tipoff. It will be the second bite at the NCAA Tournament apple for the sophomore forward, yet the first where he knows going in that he’ll have a say in the outcome.
— PC forward Bryce Hopkins
“Last year, I had a different role. This year, I have a bigger role and a better opportunity,” said Hopkins prior to Tuesday’s practice at the Ruane Friar Development Center. “I’m going to go out and showcase my talents and hopefully come out with the win.”
Asked if he expects Oscar Tshiebwe and his Kentucky running mates to turn last year’s downer against Saint Peter’s into prime fuel for Friday, Hopkins said, “For sure. I’m sure [Wildcats boss] John Calipari will have that in the back of his head. I’m sure they’re going to come out with a lot of firepower. He’s going to be pushing them hard to get that win.”
If there’s anyone within the Providence College basketball family who understands the tall order of facing the 6-foot9 Tshiebwe, who was lauded with numerous National Player of the Year Honors last year, look no further than Hopkins.
“We’re going to have our hands full but we’re up for the challenge,” said Hopkins, who developed a few battle scars from his days from locking horns with Tshiebwe during practice sessions. “I got caught with him on a few switches. Very physical. Real good teammate.”
The biggest thing that Hopkins learned from Calipari in the lone year he called Kentucky home?
“Stay cool and stay strong. I didn’t have the opportunity I wanted and felt I could play, but I had to stay strong and be prepared mentally,” said Hopkins. “He’s one of the best coaches in the world. I tried to take bits and pieces that I learned and bring it to [PC].”
Hopkins is still part of a group chat with his former Kentucky teammates. It didn’t take long for text messages to start flying after the draw involving the Friars and Wildcats was announced Sunday night.
“Excited for the matchup to play against them,” said Hopkins. “We don’t talk a lot. Every now and again, we’ll say, ‘What’s up?’ to each other and see how everyone is doing, but we’re not active in [the group chat] that much.”
Knowing full well that he would be putting his name into the transfer portal after watching Kentucky’s ouster courtesy of Saint Peter’s, Hopkins tuned in to watch the remaining stages of the NCAA Tournament.
“I like March Madness a lot,” he said.
Kentucky’s early exit allowed Hopkins to do his homework on a possible landing spot. He remembers watching the Friars as Ed Cooley’s program made it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a quarter century.
“I knew Coach Cooley was one of my options. I tuned in to see their playing style,” said Hopkins, who doesn’t plan on getting hung up pertaining to the hype of locking horns with his former team.
“We want to make a deep run in [this year’s] tournament. I feel if I get caught up in all that, it can go south in a hurry,” he said.