Saying that St. John’s Red Storm forward Bryce Hopkins is hated by Providence Friars fans would be an understatement. He was part of that brawl the last time these two teams met, with that brawl leading to the benches being cleared and then six players getting ejected.
As the starting lineups were getting introduced, when it was Bryce Hopkins’ turn, Providence fans loudly booed him as he appeared on the Jumbotron. College sports insider Adam Zagoria even joked that this might have led to another brawl if the game had happened at night.
So, what happened that led to the brawl that had Providence fans hate Hopkins so much? During their regular-season game against another, Providence forward Duncan Powell hit the St. John’s star with a clothesline that led to the melee after Hopkins got up and pushed Powell back. In turn, Powell took a swing and hit St. John’s forward Dillon Mitchell, escalating things even further.
After the six players, including Powell, were ejected, the Friars forward was suspended for three games. St. John’s ultimately won that game, but they were booed out of the Amica Mutual Pavilion, with Friars fans loudly chanting “f–k Bryce Hopkins” as the game went on. While six players were ejected, Powell was the only player to have been suspended.
Bryce Hopkins Says He Expects Rematch vs. Providence During Big East Tournament To Be Emotional
As for Hopkins, the Red Storm forward is already expecting this kind of thing to happen. He said as much during a meet-and-greet ahead of the Big East Tournament’s first round, as the possibility of a rematch with Providence loomed because of the bracket.
“It’s going to be the same thing I feel like. It’s going to be very aggressive, high emotions all over the place,” he said. “They’re going to come with their best shot again. I’m sure it’s going to be a tough, physical game again. That’s what the coach likes over there. Whatever the case may be, we’ll be ready for that.”
Bryce Hopkins, who is already a senior, has been one of the best scorers for the Red Storm, averaging 13.3 points, six rebounds and two assists per game, helping the team to become the No. 2 team in the ACC and the No. 13 team nationally.
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