By LARRY VAUGHT
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.