Since graduating from Fenwick in 2021, Bryce Hopkins has had several challenges to deal with. He played college basketball at three different schools and also suffered a severe injury that cost him a season.
Many in Hopkins’ situation would have given up. But he has lived up to a verse in Fenwick’s school fight song, “a fearless strength that reveals our loyal men never yield.” His dedication and determination have reaped dividends as Hopkins was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 49th pick in the second round of the National Basketball Association draft, June 24.
Former Fenwick boys basketball head coach Staunton Peck coached Hopkins in his final three seasons with the Friars and isn’t surprised.
“I’m super-happy for him,” he told Wednesday Journal in an interview. “He put in the work. Most basketball players when they’re younger, their goal is to play in the NBA. I texted with Bryce afterward; this was a goal he had and he was quite emotional, he was overwhelmed. He earned it.”
Hopkins, a 6-6, 218-pound forward, was a four-year varsity player at Fenwick. In his senior season, he averaged 24.4 points and 12.5 rebounds per game and was voted the Tony Lawless Player of the Year for the second time as the Friars went 13-3 and won a share of the Chicago Catholic League Blue title.
Upon graduation, Hopkins, a consensus four-star, top-50 recruit in the Class of 2021, played his freshman college season at the University of Kentucky. He appeared in 28 games for the Wildcats and averaged 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
He transferred after the season to Providence College, where he spent the next three seasons. In the 2022-23 season, he made the All-Big East Conference First Team and averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as he helped lead the Friars to 21 victories and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The following year, he started strongly in the first 14 contests with averages of 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds. But he suffered a torn ACL in January 2024 and missed the remainder of the season. The injury limited Hopkins in 2024-25 when he appeared in only three games, and he decided to enter the transfer portal for the second time upon conclusion of the season.
“He’s always had, to use a basketball term, a next-play mentality,” Peck said. “When things go wrong or don’t go his way, he doesn’t dwell on it, he asks what he can do to get better. That’s helped him get to where he is.”
Hopkins played his final collegiate season with one of Providence’s Big East rivals, St. John. He averaged 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds while playing in all 37 contests and making the All-Big East Second Team as the Red Storm won the Big East tournament title and reached the NCAA tournament.
Following the season, Hopkins participated in the 2026 NBA G League Combine held at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, May 8-10. His strong performance there earned him an invite to the main draft combine the following week
Peck knows that there’s still more work to be done. However, he’s also confident Hopkins is ready for the challenges that playing in the NBA present.
“He hasn’t reached his ceiling yet,” Peck said. “In college, he had to work on his perimeter defense, and it’s a lot better than it was. Anything Bryce has to work on, he works on. He got challenged at the combine and rose to the occasion. He worked hard and prepared to succeed, and I think the same thing can happen on the NBA level.”
Moreover, Peck feels Hopkins will succeed going forward, not just because of his hard work, but also because of his support system, primarily his family.
“He’s got two really great parents (Clyde and Karen) and two great sisters (Brianna and Jasmine),” Peck said. “They’ve provided perspective all along. Basketball is a huge part of Bryce’s life, but equally as important, he’s a good person. When you prepare someone to be a good person, things usually go well. He’s got a really good base, and that infrastructure will help him succeed in the NBA.”