Ex-Cat Daimion Collins, now a starter at LSU, returns to Rupp Arena to face Kentucky
Kentucky basketball’s Senior Night showdown with LSU on Tuesday at Rupp Arena will also be a memorable occasion for one former UK player who has now grown into a starter with the Tigers.
When UK (19-10 overall and 8-8 in SEC games) and LSU (14-15, 3-13) face off in Lexington, it will mark the return to Rupp for fourth-year forward Daimion Collins, who began his college career with two seasons at UK before spending the last two campaigns in Baton Rouge.
Collins, a 6-foot-9 forward from northeastern Texas, was a heralded recruit when he arrived at Kentucky as part of John Calipari’s 2021 recruiting class — he was rated by the 247Sports Composite as a five-star prospect and as the No. 16 overall recruit. This made Collins — a 2021 McDonald’s All-American — the second-best high school recruit in UK’s 2021 class, behind only Shaedon Sharpe, who ultimately never played for the Cats.
Over two seasons in Lexington, Collins played in a combined 52 games, starting two of those contests, one each during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. As a freshman, Collins averaged 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 7.5 minutes. As a sophomore, Collins averaged 1.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 7.9 minutes.
Collins’ time as a Kentucky player included the tragic passing of his father, Ben, just prior to the start of the 2022-23 season while Ben was visiting his son in Lexington. When meeting with reporters for the first time during that 2022-23 season, Collins praised the support system offered by Kentucky and his teammates as he navigated the difficult personal situation.
“That helped me a lot,” Collins said in January 2023. “You know, them just being there every step of the way, from the time when things happened to now — they’ve just been there, having my back every single day. So that’s been helping me a lot.”
Following that 2022-23 season — which ended with UK losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament — Collins opted for a fresh start. He entered the NCAA transfer portal and settled on LSU as his next college choice.
Collins only played in six games for head coach Matt McMahon and the Tigers last season while dealing with a dislocated right shoulder that required surgery. This kept Collins out for LSU’s buzzer-beating home win over Kentucky in February 2024.
But this season, Collins has come much closer to realizing his on-court potential.
Collins has played in 27 of LSU’s 29 games this season, with 21 starts. His averages of 8.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 21.0 minutes are career highs across the board. He’s had four games this season of 15 or more points, including a career-best 22 points and four blocks in a win last month at Oklahoma.
LSU hasn’t had much team success this season: The Tigers are only above South Carolina (2-14) in the SEC standings. But Collins’ individual development has been a notable bright spot for McMahon, who described Collins as a “once-in-a-lifetime athlete” during the annual SEC media day event in October.
“I’ll probably never coach someone like him again,” McMahon said. “From his speed and his verticality at the basket. He’s gotten stronger in the weight room. I think he’s put himself in a position to really have a breakout-type season.”
That is exactly what Collins has delivered for LSU, which enters Tuesday’s game against UK on a three-game losing streak. The Tigers have lost to a trio of top-25 opponents — No. 2 Florida, No. 5 Tennessee and at No. 24 Mississippi State — over the last 10 days.
During this recent three-game losing streak, Collins has averaged 9.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 21.0 minutes. This included a 4-for-4 showing shooting from the field during a six-point home loss to the Volunteers last Tuesday night.
“I think now (with) a year under his belt at LSU, he seems very comfortable,” McMahon said in October about Collins. “He seems like he’s really settled in and is ready to move forward with his basketball career. I think he’s really matured … His skill set is good. He can hit a catch-and-shoot 3. He’s got great hands around the basket. He’s a great rim threat as a roller in our ball-screen offense, and then his shot-blocking presence is going to be important for us … .
“I’m really excited for him. I think he’s handled adversity incredibly well and put himself in a position to have a breakout season for us.”
Daimion Collins isn’t the only former UK player to face Kentucky this season
Of course, given the nature of Calipari’s departure from Lexington last offseason — as well as the proliferation of the NCAA transfer portal — Collins is far from the only ex-Cat who has played against Kentucky this season.
On Tuesday, Collins will become the fifth former UK player to face the Wildcats during the 2024-25 season.
Ohio State center Aaron Bradshaw had 11 points and went 5-for-6 from the field in the Buckeyes’ 20-point romp over Kentucky just before Christmas in New York City.
Then, a trio of former UK players helped lead Arkansas to a win at Rupp Arena in Calipari’s first game back since departing Lexington for Fayetteville. Adou Thiero had 21 points, D.J. Wagner scored 17 and Zvonimir Ivisic added 14 in that game.
Additionally, UK has faced off against several former Kentucky recruits this season.
This group includes several former commits who are now playing for Calipari at Arkansas. Karter Knox and Billy Richmond III both contributed for the Razorbacks in their Rupp Arena win. Georgia big man Somto Cyril had six points and eight rebounds, and fouled out, as the Bulldogs dealt the Wildcats their first SEC loss in early January.
The only former UK basketball player or recruit to not end up on the winning side against the Wildcats this season has been veteran Gonzaga guard Nolan Hickman, who had nine points in 38 minutes during Kentucky’s comeback overtime win over Gonzaga in December in Seattle.
This story was originally published March 3, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
