Bryce Hopkins was a four-star player and consensus top 50 national recruit — he was as high as No. 33 by ESPN — but the 6-7 Kentucky freshman seems to have all the skills that should have made him ranked even higher.
     “It doesn’t really matter to me,” Hopkins said about the rankings. “I am really not sure why I wasn’t but I really can’t control that right now. I am at one of the greatest schools in college history. I am just blessed to be here. I can’t do anything about the rankings. I just want to do the best I can now.”
     He averaged 24.4 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game for Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Ill. He was a stat-stuffing player who consistently found ways to help his team win.
     Kentucky assistant coach Orlando Antigua recruited Hopkins when he was coaching at Illinois. He’s not been surprised by what he’s seen from Hopkins.
     “The biggest thing with him is he was able to change his body,” Antigua said. “He has the skills to handle the ball, shoot. He has a physical presence to him you need to have on the wing. He has a chance to be really, really good.
     “He has to be able to defend and continue to rebound. He can rebound and start the break to initiate the offense. He can help us play really fast.”
     Hopkins wouldn’t deny that he needed to lose “baby fat” to get in better playing shape.
     “I knew I needed to transform my body. That was one of the bigger things that I wanted to do coming in here,” Hopkins said. “Just getting the pro style body is going to be big for me getting to the next level.”
     Assistant coach Bruiser Flint says Hopkins has had “his moments” where his talent is obvious.
     “He has a chance to be a very special player here. He just has to continue to keep doing it. Just improve and get better and learn how to be a good player,” Flint said. “You can see his talent. It is definitely there and he has a chance to be special.”
     Hopkins’ high school coach, Staunton Peck, constantly said he thought his star player was way underrated nationally but few paid attention until Hopkins got to UK.
     “I would probably just say I was not highly ranked coming in here and maybe that’s why so many people are surprised with me now,” he said. “I know the work I put in and all the time I spend in the gym, so it is not a surprise to me. Me and my family know the work and time I spend on my game.”
     Hopkins has done his homework about Kentucky. He talked to former UK star Tyler Ulis, a Chicago native, to learn more about what coach John Calipari would expect from him. One thing he knows is that communication is vital.
     “In college communication is big. I know that it is really big on defense,” Hopkins said. “In high school my coach was really big on communication, so I learned that to be a good defensive team you have to communicate. I look to bring that same energy and communication here.”
     Hopkins could play a wing position or power forward for Calipari and has switched spots with Kellan Grady and Daimion Collins in practices. Hopkins doesn’t care where Calipari uses him.
     “The way he runs his offense, there is just a lot of movement on the perimeter. I am fine with wherever he puts me,” the freshman said.

Bryce Hopkins says he has the same type versatility that former UK standout PJ Washington had. (Jeff Houchin Photo)

     Hopkins has been compared to former UK player PJ Washington, who is now with the Charlotte Hornets. Hopkins believes there is a “little PJ Washington” in his game.
     “Just the versatility he had is like me,” Hopkins said. “One thing about me is I am bigger. I am 6-7, 6-8 but I have guard skills. When I am on the perimeter, I can take a bigger guy off the dribble or I can take a smaller guy and go to the paint and get a bucket. My versatility is where I can see some PJ Washington in my game.”

     Kentucky fans were mad after the Cat’s 31-17 loss at Mississippi State that was filled with turnovers on offense and missed tackles on defense. Coach Mark Stoops and his players were mad, too.
     “Any time you lose you are mad. We know what we can do and we didn’t do it,” Stoops said.
     Now Kentucky has to try to find a way to regroup when it hosts Tennessee Saturday night after both Georgia and Mississippi State easily shut down the UK offense.
     However, Kentucky’s 6-0 start that prompted national championship/Sugar Bowl talk and more might have been fool’s gold considering how the six teams UK beat have fared.
     Louisiana-Monroe is 2-3 and Chattanooga 5-3. Missouri, South Carolina, Florida and LSU are all 4-4. None of the teams are ranked yet four of UK’s wins were by a touchdown or loss — not exactly dominating play.
     Turnovers have also been a huge problem — and were at Mississippi State when UK had four more. It’s hard to keep winning when a team is losing the turnover battle almost every week.
     Wan’Dale Robinson, Kentucky’s leading receiver, says there’s only one way for the Cats to respond to consecutive losses.
     “We have to come back and work,” Robinson, who had nine catches at both Georgia and Mississippi State, said after the State loss. “At the end of the day, it (the season) is not over. We still have a chance to do things that have not been done in a long time. We just have to come back to work and come out with a different mentality.”

Wan’Dale Robinson says Kentucky has to get back to work and remember the season is not over after back to back losses. (UK Athletics Photo)

     What mentality is that?
     “Just that aggression, being the more dominant team and letting things happen,” Robinson said. “We had practiced really well (before the State game). We didn’t expect that outcome.”

     Freshman TyTy Washington and Georgia transfer Sahvir Wheeler have been UK’s most impressive backcourt players during preseason workouts as UK looks to the season opener Nov. 9 against Duke.
     Davion Mintz also returns after an impressive season for John Calipari’s team last season. Then UK also brought in transfers Kellan Grady and CJ Fredrick, both proven scorers.
     So where does that leave sophomore Dontaie Allen in UK’s playing rotation?
     “That’s all on Dontaie,” said UK Radio Network analyst Mike Pratt. “He can shoot it. No doubt about that. But there seems to be some issues with Dontaie and whether he is able to stay within the offense. He has to figure out where he

fits in the offense and then do it every time without wandering.
     “The kid is a shooter. He has to figure out where to be, wait for the ball and then shoot it with confidence.”
     Pratt said Allen has to at least be adequate defensively for Calipari to play him.
     “Calipari wants more than adequate defense from him but will be satisfied if Dontaie can just do that,” Pratt said. “Just stay between the ball and the basket.
     “Then he needs to shoot the ball when has the chance. If he doesn’t do those things, other players will move ahead of him and stay ahead of him.”

     Kentucky will officially open its basketball season Nov. 9 in New York against Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski, a man who once played against UK Radio Network analyst Mike Pratt.
     Kentucky beat Army 80-65 early in the 1968-69 season when Krzyzewski was a senior and Pratt a junior playing for coach Adolph Rupp.
     “Army had a very good team (20-5) and they came to our Christmas tournament,” Pratt said. “I have talked to K (Krzyzewski) about it briefly a few times.
     “It’s going to be cool to start the season with that game even though it will

probably be 9:30 or later when it starts and it won’t get over until midnight. But it is always fun in Madison Square Garden and certainly will be going against K this time.”
     That’s because this is Krzyzewski’s final season. He has been at Duke since 1980 and has won five national championships and been to 12 Final Fours.
     “This will be the opening of his farewell tour,” Pratt said. “Who knows? He might get a few favorable calls but in all seriousness he has had some kind of coaching career and it is kind of neat that the first game of his final season is against Kentucky.”

     Corbin senior receiver/defensive back Treyveon Longmire has been able to enjoy Corbin’s unbeaten regular season even more because he made his college commitment to Kentucky before the season started.
     “The thing I constantly talk to him about is not listening to the outside noise,” Corbin coach Tom Greer said. “Just focus on where your feet are today. Just have fun and enjoy this year.
     “For him to already be committed to UK, that took a lot of pressure off him. We have other seniors hoping to get offers and worried about where they are going. Treyveon doesn’t have that fear.”
     Longmire has game-breaking speed. He has 21 catches for 469 yards — an average of 22 yards per catch — and seven scores. He can also be a lockdown defensive back when needed in that role.
     “Treyveon is a very happy, go-lucky kid. He’s always smiling. The good Lord blessed him with a lot of ability,” Greer said. “He worked really hard this winter in the weight room. He put on weight to get up to about 180 (pounds). He can still

run just as fast and get down the field in a hurry.
     “One thing I have noticed is that teams don’t throw his way a lot when he’s at cornerback and I understand why.”
     Greer believes Longmire could play receiver, cornerback or strong safety in college. He could also be a kick returner.
     “He has got really good ball skills and he can run a 4.4 (second 40-yard dash),” the Corbin coach said.
     Corbin starts the Class 4A playoffs this week by hosting Wayne County, a team it beat 42-0 on Oct. 22. Greer says there has been “some talk” about Longmire graduating early and enrolling at UK in January.
     “I know the coaches at UK would like him to jump on board in January. It’s up to him and certainly he’ll have plenty of support if he does,” Greer said. “If he decides to stay here, he’s a track runner. But in my opinion, I think he will jump on board and get there in January if he is planning on trying to get playing time as a true freshman.”

     Kentucky will lose several pieces of the Big Blue Wall after this season and the player to build around next year could turn out to be former West Jessamine standout Eli Cox.
     The redshirt sophomore was not expected to be a starter this year but won the job at right guard. He’s been recognized as a midseason All-American and already there is speculation he might move to center next year to replace Luke Fortner.
     Not bad for a three-star recruit who quickly said yes to UK’s offer, the only Power Five scholarship offer he had.
     “Eli is what we thought he was going to be,” UK coach Mark Stoops said.
     Stoops says Cox probably is “playing better” than most anticipated this year but what he has done is not a huge surprise to the UK staff.
     “We knew what we were getting, and we wanted him and we figured he would be what he is -- just a guy who plays extremely hard, that cares, that cares about his teammates, that plays well within that group both the O-line group and the offense and the team,” the UK head coach said.
     “He is what we thought he would be, maybe, and more. I just have a lot of respect for him. He plays extremely hard, gets better with every opportunity and competes, like some other over-achievers we’ve had here over the years.”

  Quotes of the Week

Quote of the Week 1:

     “It does motivate me to want to accomplish that. I don’t think about it but I also don’t ignore it. I focus on what is happening now and what I can do. But if I take care of business and help my teammates, maybe it can happen,” UK senior guard Rhyne Howard on being the preseason favorite to be national player of the year.

Quote of the Week 2:

     “Having a lot of talent beats not having enough talent. That gives Coach an opportunity to play different ways. We may play small or go big. We can go with big forwards or all guards. The ability to do that is what coach dreams of,” Kentucky assistant coach Orlando Antigua on the basketball team’s versatility.

Quote of the Week 3:

     “BBN sorry for that one. You deserve better and we will respond. Go Big Blue,” Kentucky associate coach Vince Marrow on Twitter after the loss at Mississippi State.