"I have thought about it. I can’t wait for that moment to come. I know it’s going to be special." Bryce Hopkins Talks Rehab, Returning, and Repping Snack Chips

It has been nearly 50 days since Bryce Hopkins’ life was flipped on its head.

Providence’s double double machine returned for his junior season fresh off of a 1st Team All Big East campaign in 2022-23, and the Friars seemed to be finding their footing in early January. PC was 10-3 on the season, and 2-0 in the Big East, including an impressive 72-57 win over #6 Marquette in December, when they welcomed Seton Hall to town.

The 23rd ranked Friars then saw the unthinkable happen, as Hopkins went down on a non-contact injury that was later revealed to be a torn ACL.

Hopkins was done for the year, and with that his season — a season filled with so much expected for him — came to a sudden, shocking close.

Few expected Hopkins to be in Providence beyond this season, and in this era of the transfer portal there remained outstanding questions about Hopkins’ future in Friartown.

But Hopkins met with the local media on Friday afternoon and spoke pretty directly about his intention to return to Providence and play for the Friars once his knee is healed.

“It’s probably going to be a little emotional at the beginning,” Hopkins responded when asked if he had given any thought to a return to Providence. “My first game back after my surgery, when I was sitting behind the bench and I was watching the intros and all the stuff like that, it was emotional. I started tearing up — just missed being out there with the guys.”

“I have thought about it (returning). I can’t wait for that moment to come. I know it’s going to be special.”

The Amica Mutual Pavilion has proven itself to be a special venue in recent years, but the return of Hopkins, after such a significant injury, would rank up there as one of the most emotional moments in AMP history.

Of course, in this era of player movement, Friar fans reserve the right to hold their breath until it is officially official, but Hopkins’ return to a roster that loses essential veterans this offseason is big news.

Always looking forward, Kim English spoke of his excitement about working with Hopkins through his rehab.

“I quickly let him know that it’s not fatal. There have been so many players that have torn ACLS and came back and had spectacular careers — Spencer Dinwiddie as a junior in college, Gabe Vincent as a junior in college — there’s so many guys that have gone through it and recovered,” English said.

“I’m excited about his process, and really excited about the work we are going to continue to do to improve his jumper. Now he gets to improve his jump shot without the pressure of performing a changed shot in games.”

Hopkins jumper turned into the most significant challenge he faced this season before injuring his knee. He was averaging around 16 points and nine rebounds per game, and shooting 53% inside the arc this season, but saw his 3-point percentage dip from 36% in year one in Providence to 19% through 13 games this year. It will be fascinating to see if the coaching staff can help rebuild his jump shot as Hopkins works his way back from knee surgery.

Hopkins had five double doubles in 13 games played prior to going down against the Hall.

Providence has another player rehabbing from a torn ACL in sophomore Justyn Fernandez, a high-flying guard out of Virginia who transferred in from George Mason with English in the spring. Fernandez really started to come on late last season, as both a shooter and downhill driver, but he is redshirting this year after injuring his knee last April.

English believes Hopkins can learn from the steps Fernandez has taken to date, “Justyn has handled his ACL recovery just in an incredible way. He’s gotten better. He’s the hardest worker on our team, which is incredible, and I’m really excited for Friar fans to see him next season.”

Hopkins’ press conference on Friday served a dual purpose, as he also touched on being a spokesman for Bite Brands and Haystack Sourcing Solutions to release Snack Fanatics Chips.

Hopkins and Duke’s Kyle Filipowski were named spokesmen for the chips last week, and both are represented in their NIL deals by Priority Sports. The chips were sold out at Amazon at one point, but Hopkins notes they have since been restocked. He shared how much he appreciated how Friar fans have supported this venture, and what the fanbase has meant to him.

“I love them. I miss playing in front of them every day, and I  just thank them for supporting me throughout this process.”