December 3rd was a great night for Providence. As the Friars took the court for their matchup with BYU, they were joined for the first time all season by Bryce Hopkins, the 6-foot-7 senior forward who suffered a season-ending knee injury midway through last season. Hopkins had 16 points, five rebounds and four assists in the 83-64 win, which broke a three-game losing streak.
Hopkins was a preseason All-Big East selection, so it wasn’t surprising that he could be so productive. The fact that he played so well during his first game in nearly a year was astounding. It also gave the Friars hope that they could be competitive in the Big East.
Hopkins followed that up with a 16-point, 8-rebound effort in a close loss at Rhode Island. Three days later, however, he landed awkwardly on his surgically repaired left knee during a game at DePaul. He played through the discomfort and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 70-63 overtime win. Hopkins has not played since. The school has said that his current injury is different from his previous one. Providence has gone 1-4 without Hopkins, dropping it to 8-8 (2-3 Big East) heading into Saturday’s home game against Seton Hall.
Now, Hopkins has a big decision to make. Does he try to come back this season, which would mean he would not be able to get a medical redshirt? Or does he sit out the rest of the way and preserve his final year of eligibility? “Everything’s a possibility right now. It’s not our decision, it’s his decision,” Providence coach Kim English said during a conversation with Hoops HQ Friday morning. “He’s been a great teammate through all of this, a great leader. We’re just trying to get him to stay positive and keep getting better.”
Hopkins’ decision is complicated not only by his phyical condition but also the question of whether he could quickly acquire a hardship waiver from the NCAA to recover the season he lost as a junior. NCAA rules dictate that in order to qualify for a medical redshirt, a player needs to play in fewer than 10 games or not play for any amount of time during the second half of the season. Because Hopkins played in 14 games as a junior, he would need to get a hardship waiver from the NCAA in order to gain another year of eligibility. And because Providence is now in the second half of its current season, he would also need a hardship waiver for this season if he plays in another game.
The school has not said whether Hopkins is applying for a waiver. If he does, it is unclear when the NCAA would render a decision, much less what that decision would be. The NCAA typically makes every effort to respond to time sensitive requests quickly, but there is no guarantee it would. If Hopkins is able to get an additional season, he could be more inclined to try to make a comeback this season pending his health.
Following his transfer from Kentucky two years ago, Hopkins was voted a unanimous All-Big East selection after averaging 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. At the time Hopkins tore his ACL on Jan. 3, 2024 during a game against Seton Hall, he was averaging 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, putting him in the conversation for Big East Player of the Year.
The Friars were able to finish the season respectably because of they had players like 6-foot-3 junior guard Devin Carter, who went on to become the 13th pick in the NBA draft, as well as 6-foot-9 senior forward Josh Oduro, who graduated. The Friars ended with a 21-14 record (10-10 Big East) and barely missed out on the NCAA Tournament.
This current roster does not appear to be of the same caliber. Providence built a 14-point second-half lead at UConn on Sunday but ended up losing, 87-84. The Friars also led St. John’s by 16 points late in the first half on Dec. 20 but lost, 72-70. English’s job now is to try to build on those good stretches as well as Wednesday’s 84-65 home win over Butler. Clearly, though, without Hopkins, the task of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament becomes much more challenging.
“It’s hard because our team is built around him. He’s the only guy on our team that has a post game,” English said. “We’ve played well in a lot of these games and we played well against Butler. We just have to learn to finish and get better. We will.”
