NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 23 in 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
6. Bryce Hopkins (Providence)
This was a tough season for Hopkins and he’d likely be higher on this list had his season not ended in January with a significant knee injury. A former 4-star recruit, he was a bench piece with a limited impact at Kentucky before choosing to transfer to Providence in 2022. Hopkins truly evolved and stood out in a great year for the Friars and opted to stay in Providence after a head coaching change. He was set to have another productive season under new coach Kim English.
His season would end after just 14 games, but Hopkins was standing out once more, averaging 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds to that point in the season. His shooting touch wasn’t quite as it was as a sophomore, but he was on his way to more impressive work with the Friars before tearing his ACL right after New Year’s.
Hopkins played in barely a dozen games but still commanded respect on the court. He had 25 points and 14 rebounds against Lehigh after contributing in wins over Wisconsin and Georgia. He’d exceed 20 points three more occasions and had a cool 11-point, 9-rebound affair in an important win over Marquette. His junior season would end after that injury against Seton Hall and the Friars certainly missed his influence, themselves missing the NCAA Tournament.