Coaches stressing patience with Daimion Collins and Bryce Hopkins

Kentucky’s recruiting class in 2021 was rather unusual, an outlier from the school’s typical haul year after year. TyTy Washington was widely seen as an instant-impact player in the backcourt, while Daimion Collins and Bryce Hopkins were seen more as high-potential development pieces. Only three high school signees, the fewest of the John Calipari era.

UK did, however, add four players out of the transfer portal in Oscar Tshiebwe, Kellan Grady, Sahvir Wheeler and C.J. Fredrick. The Wildcats also returned Davion Mintz, Keion Brooks Jr., Jacob Toppin, Dontaie Allen and Lance Ware, giving Calipari his most experienced roster since he arrived in Lexington.

Wheeler, Washington, Grady and Tshiebwe have emerged as consistent standouts at the top of the roster, with Mintz, Brooks and Toppin rounding out the rest of the rotation. From there, though, playing time has been cut tremendously for the likes of Ware, Hopkins, Collins and Allen. Ware is the break-in-case-of-emergency backup option for Tshiebwe, but where do the other three fit in? Hopkins has played over ten minutes just once since the start of December (12 minutes vs. High Point), while Collins has played a combined 40 minutes in Kentucky’s last seven games, including a DNP in the team’s win over Georgia. Allen, meanwhile, has fallen out of the rotation completely, playing more than three minutes just once (10 minutes vs. High Point) and 19 minutes total since Nov. 29.

“I wish I could have gotten those two in.”

Now in his third year at UK, Allen is a unique situation, a clear disconnect between Calipari and the 6-foot-6 guard. Allen is shooting 29.5 percent from the field overall and 18.8 percent from deep, not making a shot since the Central Michigan game on Nov. 29. After Kentucky’s win over Georgia, Calipari said he wished he could have played Hopkins and Collins more, but didn’t say a word about Allen, who played just one minute in the first half.

“I wish I could have played Bryce more. I didn’t play Daimion at all,” Calipari said. “But here’s the thing — and I told Daimion and Lance after — if (Tshiebwe) goes for 29 (points) and 17 (rebounds), do you really expect to play 20 minutes? You’ve got to know (if) he is in foul trouble, there’s your chance. He is not playing well, there’s your chance.

“So, I wish I could have gotten those two in because we do need those two for their shot-blocking and playmaking ability, so we will see.”

Again, a unique situation for Allen. For Hopkins and Collins, though, it’s an important year of development for both, with the former pushing to transform his body and the latter hoping to turn raw potential into on-court production.

Confidence in both Collins and Hopkins

While opportunities for extended playing time have been limited in recent weeks, they’re both continuing to grow behind the scenes. Confidence in the basketball futures of both remains high.

“They’ve made tremendous strides and they’ll continue to make tremendous strides,” UK assistant coach Jai Lucas said of Hopkins and Collins Monday. “One thing about our team this year, what’s different from our team last year (and this one) is we’re a lot older. In prior Kentucky years, those guys would be playing minutes because there weren’t older guys behind them, if that makes sense. You would be seeing more of them and they would be growing on the court in games.”

As of today, the focus is on practice and the weight room, capitalizing on those crucial opportunities to develop outside of games. With the players ahead of them in the rotation playing so well, that’s where they’re needed at this point.

“Right now they’re growing in practice through workouts and the weight room, stuff like that,” Lucas said. “That’s the one thing you aren’t seeing because, you know, we’ve got guys playing good. You’ve got the four guards who’ve been playing good, Jacob (Toppin) has really turned the corner, you got Oscar who — I mean, it’s hard not to want Oscar on the court every minute. So that’s just things these guys are having to deal with.”

Taking advantage when their numbers are called

Again, both players have talent and potential. They’re at Kentucky for a reason. Until their number is called, though, it’s about continuing that off-court development, something they’re doing with positive attitudes.

“Continue to keep great attitudes and continue to work hard and come in and every day,” Lucas said. “They’re really getting a lot better. I think that’s just a big thing, you’re not seeing them on the court, but that doesn’t mean it’s something they aren’t doing. It’s more so with the people in front of them, they have been playing really well.”

When their numbers are called, though, they must be ready for the moment.

“When an opportunity comes, they have to be ready to perform,” Lucas said. “And that’s something we continue to preach to them, so hopefully they’ll be ready. They’re doing the work and they have had great positive attitudes about it.”