Bryce Hopkins Was Expecting Matchup Against Kentucky

Kentucky plays Providence Friday night in the NCAA Tournament. The Friars led in scoring and rebounding by Bryce Hopkins, a Kentucky transfer.

Here are some things Hopkins said about the matchup during Thursday’s press conference along with how his coach, Ed Cooley, sees Hopkins approaching the game.

Q. Just, Bryce, what was your reaction when you saw Kentucky versus Providence up on the bracket on Sunday?

BRYCE HOPKINS: You know, when the seeding was coming out and it got to the last region, I had seen that Kentucky wasn’t being picked yet, and we hadn’t been picked yet either, so I had seen a lot of mock drafts and mock bracket reveals, and they were saying that we were going to play them.
I was kind of expecting us to receive that matchup. I was just excited to play a team that I came from and, you know, just playing against some familiar faces.

Q. A follow-up to that, have you stayed in contact with any of the Kentucky guys throughout the course of the season, and then did you hear from any of them after the show Sunday?

BRYCE HOPKINS: Yeah, we’re all in a group chat still from last year, so, you know, once that matchup had been revealed, we all were texting and just excited to play each other, so that was pretty much the conversation after that.

Q. Pittsburgh coach Jeff Capel had said earlier that he thought players weren’t as emotional maybe as the adults when players transfer and leave a program and then have to play them again. He was saying he thought kids move on faster and turn the page faster, the players do. Do you sense that from players now with transfer portal making it so easy to move schools?

BRYCE HOPKINS: I think so. I think some kids, when they enter the transfer portal, they’re just looking for a new opportunity.
That’s pretty much the biggest reason why I had transferred, is just looking for an opportunity to put myself in the best position to showcase my talents.
I feel like that’s a big reason why kids enter the transfer portal today.

Q. Did you put your coaching hat on for the guys on the team to give them some guidance, some hints on how to cover the guys who were on your team last year, Bryce?

BRYCE HOPKINS: For sure. I kind of pretty much told them, like, what to expect. Kentucky, they’re fast in transition, so we’re going to have to get back in transition. They rebound. Obviously, you know, Oscar is a helluva rebounder, so we’re going to have to keep him off the glass. Same with Jacob. He crashes the glass.
Then just go from there. I feel like if we move the ball and play to the best of our abilities, we’ll have a great chance at coming out with the win.

Q. How do you think Bryce will approach playing his former team, and is this a situation where maybe you have to have an extra conversation or two with him about not getting too amped up?

ED COOLEY: Bryce and I have had a great week together, and we’ve spoke about that. He is human. His former teammates are human. I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a lot of excitement.

But what we’ve got to do as the guardians of the game and the leader of the team, you have to tell him, it’s okay. It’s okay to have that level of anxiety, level of excitement, and just taper it, understand it. You’re not trying to prove anything right or wrong. You’re just trying to go out there and play and try to help Providence College advance.
It’s going to be natural, he’s going to be nervous. I’m pretty sure his other teammates are going to be nervous. But it’s not about Bryce. This game is about Providence College versus Kentucky.