Sometimes, the coincidence is just too much. After all, those folks on the NCAA Tournament selection committee are like us, right? They’re human. They’re fans of the game. They watch it, talk about it, read about it.
And absolutely, positively they identify with the matchups they’d like to see – we’d all like to see – when it comes to fielding the 68-team tournament every year.
How else do they choose Rick Pitino and his Iona Gaels to go up against a national title contender in UConn – and a matchup against a possible future opponent in the Big East for Pitino, should he end up at St. John’s as is rumored?
There are several possibilities for intriguing games to be played in the second round and beyond as well, with once-and-future opponents lined up in-waiting. Including one game in particular in the first round Friday that features a current star facing his former team.
Remember Kentucky, Bryce Hopkins? Sure you do. Chances are strong Wildcat fans remember you on their team at this time a year ago, just before their Cats fell to Saint Peters in one of the great tourney surprises in recent years. Hopkins transferred from Kentucky and chose to attend PC, where Ed Cooley and his coaching staff were all-too-eager to welcome the one-time recruit to Friartown.
Hopkins has grown from a little-used freshman forward in Lexington into a go-to guy on the floor, averaging better than 16 points and eight rebounds per game for the Friars, earning 1st team all-Big East honors and a finalist nomination for the national Karl Malone Award as the top power forward in the country.
“I was kind of feeling it,” said the 6-7 Hopkins after learning his current Providence team would face his former Kentucky team in Greensboro, NC Friday night. “God works in mysterious ways, and I just can’t wait to prepare for them, you know, and play ‘em.
“It’s a lot of emotions going into that game,” he added, “and a lot of things will be going through my head. But I’m looking forward to playing on this big stage and hopefully come out with the win.”
Hopkins didn’t play in Kentucky’s 85-79 upset loss to the Peacocks in the NCAAs last season. In fact, he didn’t play much at all during his freshman year, averaging about six minutes per game (and two points, one rebound) over 28 games for Coach John Calipari. A back injury, following a promising start to his season, sidelined Hopkins for a short time and when he returned, his spot in the Wildcats’ playing rotation was all-but-gone.
“Bryce is such a great kid and he’s a terrific basketball player, and he had an unbelievable year for them (Providence),” Calipari said once the selection show revealed the bracket. “So, the guys smiled, the guys that knew him. We all like him, a player out there that we enjoy being around. He is a wonderful person, and so is his family.”
Maybe that’s the nice way to say, “We messed up on this one,” and maybe Coach Cal is sincere in his comments. Either way, the Wildcats know a little about Hopkins, and he knows a little about them.
“They’re going to come out fighting,” Hopkins said. “They’re long and athletic and they’re going to play fast and they’re going to rebound. They’ve got the best offensive rebounder in the country in Oscar Tshiebwe, so it’s going to be a tough battle but I think we’ll match up well.”
“Ed and I have known each other, we were assistants, well, I may be a little bit older than him, but he was an assistant as I was moving through the ranks at UMass, but I’ve known Ed, Coach of the Year a year ago, is a great coach, great communicator, motivator. He’s terrific,” Calipari added.
“I know a lot of their strengths, so, I’m going to be helping out a lot,” Hopkins included, when asked about scouting players and their tendencies. “I’m just going to try to put it all aside, stick to the gameplan and what Coach Cooley wants. I know he’s going to prepare us well to take out what they do, and I just can’t wait.”
Neither can we. The intrigue for this one is certainly in place. Maybe even ‘must see’ TV.