Bryce Hopkins, a former Kentucky basketball player, will join Rick Pitino’s St. John’s team for the 2025-26 season. Hopkins, a 6-foot-7 forward from the Chicago area, played his first year at Kentucky during the 2021-22 season but struggled to secure a regular spot in the lineup due to the presence of experienced players like Oscar Tshiebwe, Keion Brooks, and Jacob Toppin. Despite his promising start in practices, he averaged only 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 6.4 minutes per game. He didn’t play in the Wildcats’ overtime loss to Saint Peter’s in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and later transferred to Providence.
At Providence, Hopkins quickly became a standout, averaging 15.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game as a sophomore, earning first-team All-Big East honors. Providence made the 2023 NCAA Tournament but was defeated by Kentucky. Although Providence’s coach Ed Cooley moved to Georgetown, Hopkins opted to stay and play for Cooley’s successor, Kim English. His junior year saw him average 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, a torn ACL in January limited him to just 14 games, and he was further sidelined by a bone bruise later in the season. Despite these injuries, he posted impressive numbers of 17.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists over those few appearances.
In January 2024, English announced that Hopkins would not return, preserving his remaining college eligibility. Now, he has committed to St. John’s, which is looking to build on the success of its recent season, where Pitino led the team to its first outright Big East regular-season title since 1985 and its first Big East Tournament championship in 25 years. Despite the potential loss of Big East player of the year, RJ Luis Jr., Pitino has already secured a top transfer in former Arizona State guard.
Hopkins’ transfer to St. John’s could be a significant boost for the Red Storm, with expectations for continued success. The team also retains forward Zuby Ejiofor, a key contributor from the previous season. Additionally, St. John’s hosted Hopkins for a visit over the weekend and is expected to target other high-profile transfers this cycle. Pitino’s former Kentucky team, coached by Mark Pope, might also face St. John’s in a special game to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team.
