Daimion Collins will reportedly return for sophomore season at Kentucky

At least one of Kentucky’s bench players from this past season will return for another year.

According to Travis Branham of 247Sports, Wildcat freshman big man Daimion Collins will return to Lexington for a sophomore season. Branham writes that there was a possibility Collins might enter the transfer portal, but that idea has already been squashed. As a result, Kentucky and head coach John Calipari will look ahead to next season with a key returning piece.

Daimion Collins, a former five-star prospect and current Kentucky PF, will return to Kentucky for his sophomore season, sources told @247Sports.

Was a possibility to enter the transfer portal but will remain in Lexington.

— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) March 20, 2022

During his freshman campaign in 2021-22, the 6-foot-9 Collins averaged 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in just 7.4 minutes per game across 27 total outings. He reached double-figures three times, the last of which came in a critical road performance against Alabama on Feb. 5 where he dropped 10 points and six rebounds (6-6 from the free-throw line) in just nine minutes of action.

The potential has always been there for Collins, who came to Kentucky as a five-star recruit and top 20 prospect from the class of 2021. But his skinny frame and lack of physicality meant he was relegated to a bench role. But at the same time, the expectation from the Collins family has always been that it might take an extra year to build him into a future NBA player. Before he arrived in Lexington, Collins had never once participated in regulated weight lifting.

Collins is the first domino of many that will fall for Kentucky this offseason, good or bad. While the likes of seniors Davion Mintz and Kellan Grady, along with projected NBA lottery pick TyTy Washington, are fully expected to leave, there are still decisions to be made for the likes of Oscar Tshiebwe, Sahvir Wheeler, and Shaedon Sharpe. Other bench players who had similar roles to Collins this season, such as Bryce Hopkins and Lance Ware, will also have decisions to make.

What about Dontaie Allen, who hardly played this year? Jacob Toppin and Keion Brooks Jr. were significant contributors, but who’s to say they’ll both come back, too? Kentucky has just two incoming freshmen for next season, albeit two impressive five-stars. What about the endless possibilities in the transfer portal?

Roster construction is going to be a HOT topic over the next several weeks. But it’s good to know that Collins will be in the fold for next season.