Playing basketball for UK ‘a dream come true,’ but Bryce Hopkins enters transfer portal
In a tweet Thursday, Bryce Hopkins spoke glowingly of his freshman basketball season for Kentucky.
The 2021-22 season was “a dream come true.” He tweeted that he could not thank the Big Blue Nation enough “for embracing me.” There are “so many memories that I will keep with me forever.” He built a bond with teammates, whom he called “brothers,” that “nobody can break.”
He told his teammates, “I love you all.”
Then came the “but” . . .
“But with that being said, my parents and I have put a lot of thought into it and feel that it’s best for me to enter the transfer portal,” Hopkins tweeted.
UK Coach John Calipari later tweeted the customary words of support when a player announces a decision to transfer or enter the NBA Draft or return to play another college season.
“Bryce is an exceptional kid,” Calipari tweeted. “And, as we always do, we will support him and his family in their decision.
“I’m proud of Bryce for not only being a great teammate, but he came to the gym ready to work and be the best he could for us each and every day.”
As of early Thursday afternoon, Hopkins was one of 948 Division I scholarship players who had entered the transfer portal in March and April of this year, the NCAA said. Counting non-scholarship players, the total is 1,079 players in those two months.
One of the other scholarship players in the transfer portal is UK teammate Dontaie Allen.
Earlier this week, TyTy Washington said he was entering this year’s NBA Draft and would not play another college season.
In his tweet, Hopkins did not give a specific reason for why he believed it would be best to transfer.
Coincidentally, both Hopkins and Allen averaged 6.6 minutes per game in the 2021-22 season.
Hopkins played in 28 of UK’s 34 games. He averaged 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds.
With multiple instances of players sidelined by injury during the season, Calipari spoke repeatedly of the need for reserves being ready to seize opportunities.
Hopkins’ next-man-up moment came on Feb. 23 against LSU. He scored 13 points, which were his only points after Jan. 25. He also grabbed four rebounds. He had only three other rebounds in games after Jan. 25.
Hopkins played seven minutes the rest of the season after playing 16 minutes in the LSU game. In all other games after Jan. 25, he played a total of 13 minutes.
Hopkins credited teammate Davion Mintz for helping him believe his opportunity would come.
“Davion Mintz told me it can’t rain forever,” Hopkins said after Kentucky beat LSU 71-66. “The sun has to shine some day.”
The metaphorical sun — and Hopkins — shined in the Kentucky victory over LSU. Hopkins’ 13 points were one more than he’d scored since Dec. 22. All came in the second half as UK rallied to win despite the absence again of point guards Sahvir Wheeler and Washington.
“I’m so proud of Bryce,” teammate Oscar Tshiebwe said after the game. “He doesn’t even know how much we are proud of him. . . . He really helped us come back in the game.”
Hopkins came to UK as a four-star prospect from Oak Park, Ill. He averaged 24.4 points and 12.5 rebounds as a high school senior.
A back injury last summer slowed Hopkins’ progress.
“That really set me back a little bit,” he said before adding that he tried to go to practice each day with the mindset of “working my butt off.”
Hopkins acknowledged the wait for his opportunity was not easy. He noted how Calipari advised players to keep working as they wait for an opportunity.
“Today was mine,” he said. “And I just took advantage of that. I was in the gym and kept working on my game. Today was the day I finally broke through.”
Calipari repeatedly noted that the lack of playing time was no fault of Hopkins. Other players were better, the UK coach said.
As late as his radio show days before Kentucky lost to Saint Peter’s in the NCAA Tournament, Calipari spoke highly of Hopkins.
In a scrimmage that week, neither Hopkins, Allen nor Daimion Collins came off the floor, said Calipari, adding, “Bryce looked really good.”
This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 1:02 PM.
