"Divine Providence" that Bryce Hopkins will face Kentucky in NCAA Tournament

There were smiles across the faces of the Kentucky Wildcats when they learned their NCAA Tournament fate, not because they officially punched a ticket to the Big Dance. Jacob Toppin was excited to see a familiar foe on the oppostie side of the bracket.

“B-HOP!” Toppin shouted when Providence appeared on the screen. “A J.T.-Bryce matchup? TOUGH!”

The duel once reserved for the practice courts at the Joe Craft Center will be under the limelight of the biggest stage in the sport. No. 6 Kentucky will face No. 11 seed Providence, led by former Wildcat Bryce Hopkins, in Friday night primetime on CBS. The made for TV matchup did not go over Ed Cooley’s head. The Friars head coach described the Selection Committee’s decision as “Divine Providence,” a theological tongue-in-cheek remark.

“It’s going to be a lot going through his head,” Cooley told the CBS Sports Network crew. “Just put my arm around him, tell him it’s okay to be excited, it’s okay. He’ll probably throw a fastball off the side of the backboard. He’ll be a little bit nervous.

“At the end of the day he’s going to have an opportunity to do something, play the game he loves, to go out there and try to perform at the highest level. It’s Divine Providence that this matchup was made for television for CBS primetime. It’s going to be a great, great game and hopefully he plays well.”

Bryce Hopkins & the Providence Friars have a NCAA Tournament date with Kentucky #pcbb #friars #Bigeast pic.twitter.com/T6zLNlXToM

— Brendan McGair (@BWMcGair03) March 12, 2023

Kentucky Players Excited to Face Bryce Hopkins

The reaction from the team did not go unnoticed by their head coach.

“Bryce is such a great kid and he’s a terrific basketball player. He had an unbelievable year for them,” John Calipari said from the team’s watch party at his home. “The guys smiled. They know him. We all like him. It’s a player out there we enjoy being around and he is a wonderful person, and so is his family.”

As a true freshman at Kentucky, Hopkins only averaged 6.5 minutes in 28 games played, scoring just over 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Stuck in a log-jam at the four position, Jacob Toppin assumed that role for the Cats, while Keion Brooks and Hopkins sought opportunities elsewhere in the transfer portal. It paid off well for Hopkins.

This year he was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Friars, scoring 16.1 points and grabbing 8.4 rebounds per game to earn first team All-Big East honors. His former teammates have kept close tabs on him from afar.

“Even though he transferred, he still has that bond with us. That’s our brother for life,” said Lance Ware. “Obviously, he had a really good year. I’m a fan of him and the things that he’s doing at Providence and happy for him.”

“It’s going to be fun,” added CJ Fredrick. “We’re really looking forward to competing against Bryce and seeing him. He was one of our teammates. We love him, and like I said, we’re enjoying it, ready to compete against him. It’s going to be fun.”

One storyline was supposed to dominate the conversation entering Kentucky’s 2023 NCAA Tournament. Instead of hearing about the loss to Saint Peters, all of the attention is now on the matchup with Bryce Hopkins. Mitigating that major distraction for Kentucky might also be considered Divine Providence.