Bryce Hopkins made his return to PC’s lineup a winning one vs. BYU (Photo: PC Athletics)
By KEVIN McNAMARA
PROVIDENCE – The rumbling began just a half hour or so before Tuesday night’s Big East/Big 12 Battle at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Would this be the night, could this be the night that Bryce Hopkins finally returned to the Providence lineup?
Yes, it was true. And in that instant, all was right again in Friartown.
Hopkins started, played 25 strong minutes and certainly provided the Friars with a very different look as Providence jumped Brigham Young early and never let up in a convincing 83-64 victory. Hopkins contributed 16 points, 10 free throws, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. He was a plus-29, the highest on the PC team, for the night. With the Friars owning more spacing and moving the ball infinitely better, Jabri Abdur-Rahim spotted up for four 3-pointers and led all scorers with 21 points. Guards Jayden Pierre and Bensley Joseph chipped in with 12 points apiece.
Asked just how much better the spacing was on the court, Abdur-Rahim said ”I got wide-open looks because (BYU) was worried about Bryce. So I like playing with him a lot.”
So why was this the night for Hopkins to make his season debut, his return to the lineup after missing the last 21 games a year ago and the opening eight this season?
“I feel like it was a long process and I just didn’t want to rush back,” Hopkins said. “Coach Kim was very patient with my process, he wasn’t trying to rush me back. He wanted me to come back at the right time and I thank him for that. Him being by my side through this process was very helpful.”
His introduction in the starting lineup certainly was a welcome sight. The Friars limped back from the Battle 4 Atlantis on Saturday and knew their forward leader would be ready for BYU. Coach Kim English said he struggled during the trip home and the ‘scrubbing’ process of wiping away the three losses and turned the blame to himself. He said he’s now 1-10 in the in-season tournaments in his short coaching career and learned a lot on this one. The biggest lesson? Remain positive.
While his team was preparing for a game against Oklahoma, English said he could over-hear Gonzaga coach Mark Few through the locker room wall talking to his team after it was upset by West Virginia. “He was so positive,” English said. “He said ‘there are 30 more of these. This game is on me. Tomorrow is on you.’ We lost to Oklahoma and I stole his speech.”
A long film session the next day may have robbed his group of some energy and it played with no legs in a tough loss to Davidson. A third loss to Indiana followed but the Friars returned to Rhode Island knowing they needed Hopkins back as soon as possible.
The Friars came into the game very concerned about BYU freshman forward Egor Demin, a talented Russian import who NBA scouts are very intrigued about. Seventeen NBA teams sent scouts to the game but a decision by English to pick up the ball 94 feet and send a smaller, aggressive defender like Bensley Joseph or Corey Floyd on the 6-9 frosh worked wonders. Demin would finish without a bucket, missing all 10 of his shots.
Hopkins missed his first shot and didn’t score until the 8:06 mark on a power layup but by then the Friars were in control, 31-19. Joseph had already banged home two 3-pointers and Abdur-Rahim added another. In a snap the lead was 34-21 and at the half the Friars were in control, 46-34. Providence made a sizzling 71 percent of its shots in the half, including 8-of-12 tries from the 3-point line.
The Cougars (6-2) showed up for a few minutes in the second half and cut Providence’s lead to 53-46 with a little more than 13 minutes left. But there would be no melting on this night. With Hopkins sliding to the center position for a long stretch, the Friars’ passing blinded the visitors and open shots turned into back-breaking 3-pointers. Treys by Abdur-Rahim, Rich Barron and Pierre fueled an 18-5 run that all but ended this one.
“I wasn’t really focused on my performance. I knew I would be rusty,” Hopkins said. “Once I made that first bucket I was relieved and let the game come to me. Having Jabri and Rich out there, a lot of shooters, really helps.”
So just how much does Hopkins’ return change the Friars’ fortunes? Impossible to tell but they certainly looked like a different, vastly-improved outfit. There are still rebounding and defensive issues with inexperienced centers Christ Essandoko and Oswin Erhunmwunse that don’t appear to be dimming anytime soon. PC allowed 21 offensive rebounds, an ungodly number., and BYU totaled 32 points in the paint.
But with Hopkins the bench will be shorter, and the chance to score all over the floor will improve. A trip to the Ryan Center is up next Saturday and after a look at this very different Friar team, that game has taken on a very different sheen.
