Bryce Hopkins is the other reunion in Kentucky vs. St. John’s

Much of the talk about Kentucky vs. St. John’s centers on Rick Pitino facing his former team and team captain, with whom he shares the 1996 national championship. But it’s a Kentucky reunion for one of Pitino’s players, too. Don’t forget about Bryce Hopkins.

Hopkins began his college career in Lexington as a top-20 recruit in John Calipari’s 2021 class, but his time at Kentucky was mostly quiet. He appeared in 28 games during his only season as a Wildcat, averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds, and never found a consistent role, even though it looked like he had.

You may remember Calipari saying he should play Hopkins more, but never following through.

“We’re going to need Bryce for an NCAA Tournament run,” Calipari said after Hopkins’ breakout game against LSU, in which he scored 13 points in 16 minutes off the bench. Hopkins played only seven combined minutes for the rest of the season after that game, including the three postseason games. He was a DNP in Kentucky’s first-round loss to Saint Peter’s. His Kentucky career ended there.

Hopkins transferred to Providence for his sophomore season and, as luck would have it, he crossed paths with Kentucky in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats got the better of that reunion, eliminating Providence in the first round as Hopkins was held to seven points on 2-for-9 shooting.

Injuries then derailed his next two seasons, limiting him to just 17 games over those two years. That setback opened the door for a fifth season of college basketball and a fresh start at St. John’s, where Hopkins now runs into his old team again.

Called out by Pitino

The former Wildcat enters Saturday’s matchup as St. John’s leading scorer at 14.0 points per game, part of a balanced offense for Rick Pitino. However, Pitino recently called out Hopkins’ personality, saying he would be a top-10 player in the country if he were an alpha dog.

“If he wants to become a top-10, top-15, top-20 player in the country, he totally has to do a makeover of his personality,” Pitino said in his CBS Sports Classic preview conversation.

Rick Pitino today with a plea to Bryce Hopkins to change his personality on the court. Rick believes he can be a top player in the country

Hopkins has had a rough last 4 games, against DePaul he had 0 Rebs. #sjubb

I believe he’s vital to St. John’s getting the win on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/1tDdmv55FT

— Dave (@SJUDave) December 18, 2025

Hopkins’ second chance against Kentucky provides the stage for him to answer Pitino’s call. Kentucky’s job is to keep him from doing that.