Bryce Hopkins (Photo by UK Athletics)
Before the NCAA Tournament started Kentucky coach John Calipari said he thought freshmen Daimion Collins and Bryce Hopkins could both be important players for the Wildcats. However, neither freshman played in the overtime loss to Saint Peter’s.
“I think Bryce and Daimion were ready and my plan was to play them in this game,” Calipari said on his radio show last week. “ I was hoping to get a little gap, get those guys in, get their feet wet, and let’s go. We never got to that. But that was my plan prior to the game.”
Calipari called it a “funky” game — UK fans called the loss a lot worse than funky. He said Collins and Hopkins were prepped to play but he never called on them even though during the regular season Collins was the spark UK needed to win at Alabama and Hopkins was the key spark in a home win over LSU.
Hopkins played in 28 games but averaged just 2.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 6.6 minutes per game. Calipari said he got “behind some guys who were just better” but also offered other reasons on his radio show for his lack of playing time.
“You gotta come in knowing, lose some weight. Let’s try that one. Let’s get more consistent shooting the ball. You drive and your pull-ups and your strength and your rebounding. Let’s get it to where you’re even more athletic than you are,” Calipari said.
“Another great kid. He was crying after the game (against Saint Peter’s), which just about everybody was, and he didn’t even get in.”
Neither did Dontaie Allen and the former Kentucky Mr. Basketball announced last week he was putting his name into the transfer portal.
Other players could not only contemplate the transfer route but also leave for the NBA.
“My advice to a couple of them were you need to test the waters but let’s talk about what you’re looking for so there’s a plan of where they are and what opportunities they’re looking for which would make them leave or come back,” Calipari said.
39 Responses
Excuses, EXCUSES !! BBN wants RESULTS NOT EXCUSES!!
I totally agree
Another of Cal s political speeches where he feeds us his BS.
If my memory is not completely gone, Cal even said during the season, at one time or another, that he needed to find minutes for both Collins and Hopkins. He never did.
He said the same thing last year about Allen; until he finally came out and said he was not going to break Boston’s heart to give Allen a chance.
Cal finds his 7 or 8 players and that is it. Those left behind, are left behind for the season.
Even with large leads or large deficits, Cal does not find minutes for bench players very often.
The more players you have ready to play, the easier it is to wear teams down.
Cal will not change, and frankly, I have gotten to the point that I don’t even care if don’t watch them play. Haven’t for a few years. Used to be a die hard, bleeding blue fan and started following in the early or mid 60’s.
I have probably been more disgusted with Cal than any coach we have had, other than Billy Bob. Cal has done the least with the most talent, but give him credit; he always has a sugar coated excuse!
💯% Agree
If you don’t watch them play then what gives you the right to make a comment like the one you just gave?
You should have played those guys! Maybe they could’ve hit some shots, imo!
1 trick pony
More BS from the used car salesman. I trust Dr Pepper over Dr Fauci and I trust Fauci more than Cal
After game at bama cal said Collins is forcing him to now play him..and Bryce rescued uk against lsu with 13 pts or so I believe.
Cal has a built in excuse for everything that goes wrong.
Always has!
Cal is coaching for March. Ok. Then Cal said he watched the tape of st Peter’s and admitted he was worried..ok which is it? Cal which is it? He is a double talker if ever one existed.
It’s called nuance, look into it.
Collins has a 40 + vertical, 6′ 9" or 10 Huge wingspan.Is cal saying this guy couldn’t contribute? Ridiculous.
He wasn’t ready this season and if you think he was you are absolutely blind, yeah he COULD contribute, unfortunately it wasn’t to the point you could count on with either one of them, and you’re lying to yourself if you think they would of changed ANYTHING. Yeah they did something in Abt 1 game each and that means they are gonna do it in the biggest game of the year? lol. What planet are you from mate. Gimme a break.
The guy can’t coach, he ALWAYS throws it back on his players, even the ones he doesn’t play, and he will soon start reminding BBN of what it was like with Billy Clyde. I would rather have Billy Clyde back now that he is sober.
Dontaie is gone, and I couldn’t blame Bryce and Damion if they left as well. They would get major minutes anywhere else.
On a night when Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and Villanova are the talk of the college basketball world, all BBN hears is more excuses from our sorry excuse for a coach. It gets worse. Because our sorrier excuse for an athletic director gave this flim flam man such an outrageous contract, we are stuck with him. It’s time for President Capilouto to step in and clean up this mess. It would be worth the $52 million to send Calipari on down the road.
Note about Carolina and Duke game. Coach K thanked his players after loss. Praised them..Not a coach K fan , but considering what was on the line for him last night and was grateful, that says alot.. Unlike another coach I know who likes to publicly humiliate his players.
That must’ve came after he threw his starting center Mark Williams under the bus on national television. Just moments after the game concluded for missing those key free throws. Well to go coach K smh
And if they were to get rid of Calipari who would they hire???? In my opinion there is really no other coach out there that can handle the pressure that comes with the job. You know what’s funny then all of BBN will be pissing and moaning like you always do when you dont make the tournament or the NCCA final. BBN for goodness sakes…. It was a great season overall even though it didnt turn out the way we wanted. But hey that’s tournament time for you and unfortunately the Peacocks came out there to play and were more aggressive than Kentucky. There’s next year. If you really want to piss and moan about it go relive the 1992 Duke game. Get over it…. Time to move on
Brad Stevens. Enough said.
Calipari has ruined our once great basketball program.
Last night I watch the Final Four, and as I watched the two games, especially the Duke UNC war, I realized what has happened to the UK program under Calipari. The teams that reached the final four are all tough minded teams. They don’t back down from any adversity or challenge. They welcome the opportunity to rise to meet them. They are TOUGH!!!!!
UK has lost all toughness!!!
The “big” wins this year were big only because UK’s shots fell at an unprecedented rate and buried opponents and there was little utility to be needed from being tough because the other team simply could not outscore them regardless of toughness or defensive pressure. The shots fell!! That is how UK buried Tennessee and Kansas. There was not war fought and won.
Go back through the season and find a single game, other than those 2, in which this UK out toughed a legitimate opponent, and you will find that every opponent that was tough minded, aggressive defensively, That’s what Tennessee did twice, Auburn once, LSU once, and St. Peters once, among others.
When the UNC player had a nasty fall last night, and turned his ankle writhing in pain on the floor, he hobbled off, verified that he hart but was not injured, and returned to the battle as quickly as possible to help his team win. When UK players, especially those powder puffs that cAlipari coddled every year, get hurt, they hobble off never to be seen again, I suppose checking with their army of advisors about how that pain could affect their NBA draft position.
I long for the days that UK fielded tough minded, and tough playing teams. When the going gets tough, these Cats get going, and I don’t mean that in any sort of good rhetorical way.
All you coaches need to get your own jobs
BS!
Would be funny all you that want him gone when Kentucky would go through 5 Billy Gillespie’s in a row, THEN YOU’LL BE PISSED. I think Cal needs to change some things and then see what he can do and what he has changed, if it doesn’t work out next season then I guess move on if ya want. Kentucky isn’t gonna win it every year no matter what Kentucky fans think, this complaining happens when he goes 38-1 so it makes no difference, Kentucky fans are the absolute worst in the country, the biggest babies, the most entitled. All of it! This is from a Kentucky fan I have been disgusted with Kentucky fans for years. No class whatsoever. Everyone thinks they are a coach and could do better haha…. That’s why you’re plowing a field for your farm isn’t it? Lol just cause ya coach for your 10 year old sons team doesn’t mean you know anything.
HAHA SO TRUE!
My beef with Cal is he gets lost in the moment. Grady was hitting his shot and wasn’t even looking for a shot and Cal road the game out with Grady running from the shot while Davion Mintz setting on the bench next to him… I’m not sure what his purpose was, certainly not for his defense on thar game…😂
Look guys I am a true blue fan to the end but our coach can not coach,yes he can get players but it’s proven over the last 12 seasons he can’t coach a team,if we had Bruce perl as coach over the past 12 years with the players we’ve had bet the house we would have 6 plus championship
It saddens me to agree with you all. Been a fan since 1971. Been to 4 final 4’s. Spend lots of money following them. But I’m going to hang with them for awhile. But something got to change!
Also when Cal did start going with bringing in the tough minded,grit,hard nose,dogg fight mentality type players like a John Wall,Demarcus Cousins,Daniel Ortan,Stanley Johnson etc. It was a love/hate relationship from within some of the UK community because they weren’t used to those type of players with rough edges. Now your all crying for those same type of players lmaooooo #bbn
Right I agree with that am a true fan of Kentucky Wildcats we need a new coach ASAP
We did beat both teams that are playing for the title pretty handily and Kansas on their home floor. We have good games as a team and bad games as a team. I’m tired of losing too but so are every one of the teams that don’t get to take the Natty home this year. Game 1 or game 5 of tourney doesn’t matter if you don’t bring home the gold. Cal does need to change things up and be held responsible if he doesnt but we have too many monday morning quarterbacks who claim to be die hard fans.
You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over. Change is good but you have to understand why your doing it. Until that happens your never going to contend in anything again.
Leave coach Cal alone he is the best there is
think it is okay for folks to have questions and be disappointed right now. hopefully Calipari is too
Am a UK fan for 60 years. I agree that Coach Calipari n staff should coach up n help players to reach potential for pro bball BUT Winning truly helps the process too! He has done remarkable with the 1st goal but goal 2 not so much. I have been a VillaNova proponent (another WildCat team) since Coach Jay Wright took over and winning has enabled several 4*s to get NBA n Pro work. Cal has written books, engaged in politics, and possibly stopped growing as a Coach of the storied Kentucky Program. As for Allen, his 2 injuries affected his physical ability imho. Otherwise it would be attitude n effort bc D kept him off the floor. As for Hopkins n Collins, Cal DID say he had to find 25 mins for Collins and Hopkins had to play so he did Not keep his word. UK could go 9 deep this season n should have. I hope both Frosh return and lead next season 🙏
When Cal started this one and done thing every other program was dogging him now everyone is doing it some better than others. Now this transfer portal is changing things again. I would like 2 c more 3 and 4 yr players. The players aren’t flocking 2 Cal like they were. Give him time and I think he’ll get it back. I don’t like it any more than any 1 else.