SAN DIEGO — A Boost for St. John’s Offense

The Red Storm’s offense has noticeably improved recently. They’ve been making more three-pointers and seem to be working better together. But, honestly, the standout change has been Bryce Hopkins.

He appears to be back to his pre-injury form, prior to tearing his ACL.

Coach Rick Pitino noted, “I think he’s gotten a little faster, jumped a bit higher, and is playing with a lot of confidence. I feel like he’s been improving all season.”

Pitino added, “Recovering from an injury is tough—serious, too—but he’s doing his best and looking confident.”

After some inconsistency, Hopkins has recently scored in double digits for five games straight, averaging 13.8 points with a 60 percent shooting rate, along with eight rebounds.

He’s hitting those three-point shots more often, which is something Coach Pitino wants to see. Surprisingly, for the first time this season, he has managed to make multiple triples in back-to-back games.

“It helps,” Pitino mentioned. “He tends to be a bit hesitant. I often tell him, ‘Bryce, just hold on, take the shot.’”

These improvements come at a pivotal moment. This year hasn’t been entirely without merit for him, as he made the All-Big East second team and played a key role in St. John’s securing the league’s outright regular season title. But in March, he really stepped it up.

In the Big East Tournament, he made a crucial left-elbow jumper, which shifted the momentum in the championship game when Connecticut had cut the lead to seven points in the second half. Having Hopkins as a reliable offensive contributor alleviates some pressure off standout forward Zuby Ejiofor.

“I think he’s just getting comfortable,” Hopkins shared. “We’re really playing well as a team right now, and we’re not obsessing over our offense.”

He continued, “Coach gives us the freedom and confidence, which makes our job easier. So, we focus more on defense, and that helps our offense flow.”

As a sophomore at Providence, Hopkins was a top player in the Big East and earned first-team honors. Unfortunately, he sustained a torn ACL on January 3, 2024.

He only played in three games last season due to injury before transferring to St. John’s. These days, he seems to be playing more like his former self—finishing strong at the rim, hitting three-pointers, and being a solid defender.

“He’s a lot more aggressive and confident in his skills,” Pitino remarked. “He passes well, rebounds, drives effectively, and handles the ball nicely on the break, much like Dillon Mitchell.”

The important thing for Hopkins and St. John’s is maintaining this pace. He’s become an X-factor and is starting to be the player everyone anticipated when the Red Storm brought him in from the transfer portal last spring.