When Rick Pitino listed his starters for the primary St. John’s sport of the preseason, one omission stood out.
Bryce Hopkins, one of many marquee names within the Johnnies’ touted switch class, was not among the many first 5 of their Oct. 18 exhibition in opposition to Towson.
“He’s trying to be good, and I want him to be great,” Pitino mentioned forward of that 73-63 win in Queens. “I want him to have a Mamba mentality, and he doesn’t have it. If he develops that, he’ll be one of the premier players in the country.”
The “Mamba mentality,” after all, refers back to the alpha mindset made well-known by Kobe Bryant.
“He’s been good and solid the entire summer and now,” Pitino mentioned of Hopkins. “I’m not after good and I’m not after solid. I’m after great and passionate.”
Unlocking greatness in Hopkins, a 6-7 ahead with NBA aspirations, may very well be the important thing to the Purple Storm assembly the sky-high expectations that await them this season, which begins Monday night time in opposition to Quinnipiac at Carnesecca Enviornment.
St. John’s begins the season ranked No. 5 within the AP High 25 and was the preseason favourite within the Large East coaches’ ballot.
Hopkins, 23, spent the earlier three seasons at Windfall, the place he was chosen for the All-Large East first workforce as a sophomore in 2022-23.
However Hopkins suffered an ACL tear in his left knee in January of 2024, ending his junior season after 14 video games. Hopkins returned in December, however he appeared in solely three video games earlier than he was shut down for the remainder of his senior season with a bone bruise in the identical knee.
Hopkins, a graduate switch taking part in on a medical redshirt, says the day without work left him with one thing to show, however he’s additionally receptive to Pitino’s plea for him to develop a killer intuition.
“It was definitely tough being out,” Hopkins mentioned throughout final month’s media day. “That was my first time going through a serious injury and stepping away from the game for that long, and [when Pitino was] recruiting me, he was just telling me that he wants me to come in, be aggressive, and let the game come to me.”
After spending his freshman 12 months at Kentucky, Hopkins averaged 15.8 factors and eight.5 rebounds per sport over his three seasons at Windfall.
Final month, Hopkins was named to the Preseason All-Large East first workforce — the best accolade for any St. John’s participant aside from senior ahead/middle Zuby Ejiofor, who’s the convention’s Preseason Participant of the 12 months.
“Bryce, he’s gonna be elite for us,” mentioned Dillon Mitchell, a senior ahead who transferred from Cincinnati.
“He’s a strong dude getting downhill. It’s hard to stop him when he’s at full momentum. But that just gets me better at the defensive end, having to guard him every day.”
However Hopkins has heard from his share of doubters, too.
He’s conscious of the Windfall followers who bemoaned his lack of availability final 12 months and criticized him for transferring to a Large East rival.
“I see it. I try not to let it get to my head,” Hopkins mentioned.
“There’s always gonna be a chip on my shoulder. I know what I bring to the table. I haven’t played in a while, so yes, I want to prove something, but I’m not gonna do anything out of body.”
Off the bench in opposition to Towson, Hopkins scored a team-high 13 factors with six rebounds, 4 assists, a block and three steals in 27 minutes.
He then began the Purple Storm’s second and last exhibition sport — a 96-94 additional time loss to No. 7 Michigan — and scored 13 factors on 3-of-11 taking pictures with 9 rebounds in a team-high 40 minutes.
“I knew that coming in with so many great players, there was gonna have to be sacrifices being made,” Hopkins mentioned forward of the exhibition slate. “If it’s me that has to come off the bench, I’m fine with that. When I get my chance to go onto the court, I’m gonna just do what I do.”
