Can Louisville basketball keep Bryce Hopkins in the fold?
If it feels like it’s been forever since Louisville basketball landed a commitment in the class of 2021, it’s because it has. While Chris Mack has landed multiple graduate-transfers since, the last time a high school player in the current class announced his intentions to attend Louisville was way back in November of 2019 when four-star Bryce Hopkins chose the Cards.
The commitment came out of nowhere at the time, with very few people who follow the program actually knowing much about the combo forward from Chicago. The more fans read and saw of Hopkins the more they realized how big of a commitment this was for the Cards.
At 6’7, 220 pounds, Hopkins brought a Dwayne Sutton-like game to Louisville with great size, versatility, and a high-motor. However, his game was far more polished and rounded at this point in their careers, with Hopkins bringing a Jordan Nwora like scoring punch with his ability to shoot the ball from the top of the key facing up and from deep giving Mack his first true “stretch four” since taking over as head coach.
Presley Meyer wrote about Hopkins after his commitment, saying:
"“Hopkins is cut from the same cloth as some of the current Louisville forwards. He has an arsenal of shots from long-range, but typical of a Chicago star, Hopkins is not afraid to absorb contact on the way to the bucket. Looking at his tape, Hopkins reminds one of a Dwayne Sutton type of forward. He plays much larger than his size and is not afraid to get physical and contribute in other ways besides just scoring the ball.”"
Since committing to Louisville back in November, Hopkins has gone from a relatively unknown gem to one of the biggest risers in the country, recently jumping 30 spots (no. 64 to no. 34) in the updated Rivals.com rankings for 2021.
Anatomy of a Cardinal: Bryce Hopkins
— Endless Motor Sports (@endless_motor) June 5, 2020
Today we take a detailed look at 2021 Louisville commit Bryce Hopkins out of Fenwick HS (IL).@BryceHopkins pic.twitter.com/CTa1a4RoLs
With that type of jump combined with the penalty that is expected to be handed down from the NCAA, it is to be expected that Hopkins will soon start hearing from the typical blue blood programs like Kansas, North Carolina, Duke, and Kentucky. As we’ve seen, negative recruiting from other head coaches can be just as effective as actual recruiting and it wouldn’t be surprising in the least to see schools try and push Hopkins towards a decommitment.
Hopkins would have an easy path to playing time in Louisville due to his skill and the program’s need for a true power forward, but would he want to deal with the potential of missing the biggest stage in college basketball? That’s what worries me.
As of yet, there haven’t been any reports that Hopkins is looking to decommit or that other programs have gotten involved but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen, especially once recruiting picks back up prior to the early signing period.
Keeping Hopkins in the fold is probably going to end up being the most important part of the recruiting battle this summer for Chris Mack.