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Daimion Collins shows something new in Bahamas opener. Is it truly a turning point?

There has been plenty of positive buzz leaking out of Kentucky basketball circles this summer regarding the development of Daimion Collins, the Wildcats’ relatively little-used McDonald’s All-American from last season.

With that buzz came plenty of reason for skepticism.

For one, this is hype season in the world of UK basketball. Often, there are rumblings of a major jump in a returning player’s game or a freshman surprise this time of year. On many occasions, those hopes turn out to be unfounded once the games begin.

And anyone who watched Collins play last season — especially down the stretch — would surely temper expectations on any kind of massive jump in year two.

The 6-foot-9 forward clearly possesses all the athleticism and upside in the world, but there wasn’t much immediate application of those otherworldly gifts. Collins had a couple of double-digit scoring games — and played some major minutes — in the opening weeks of the 2021-22 season, but his playing time and production trickled down and nearly out by the end.

He scored more than two points in a game just once after New Year’s Day and didn’t play more than nine minutes in any of Kentucky’s 21 games in that span. He didn’t play at all in the Cats’ shocking, season-ending loss to Saint Peter’s.

John Calipari made it clear that Collins wasn’t ready to play against top competition late in the season, especially with national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe manning the paint and other, more experienced players helping out in the frontcourt.

At the same time, Calipari also foresaw a future for Collins that could be blindingly bright.

The UK coach acknowledged both sides of Collins’ case in his final radio show of the season, just days after that early NCAA Tournament exit.

“His mom and dad were so good all year, because it had to be frustrating. Had to be frustrating,” Calipari said then. “You know, I coached my son. He’s not playing, you get frustrated. You want him to play, but how they dealt with it and how they dealt with their son was unbelievable. And how he dealt with it. Every day, the kid had a smile. And I said, ‘You got to get stronger. You got to play more consistent. You got to play like you’re a guard even though you’re 6-foot-9, you can do both.’

“I look at him as one of the cornerstones of what will be this team.”

With that last comment, Calipari made clear that the expectation was still for Collins to be great.

The word coming from those who have seen him practice this summer hasn’t done anything to tamp down such feelings.

It’s still only August, and it’s still just one game — an exhibition game at that, three months until the real ones begin — but maybe Collins is ready to hit the big time, after all.

He sure made a terrific second impression Wednesday night, exploding out of the gate as Kentucky began its four-games-in-five-days stint in the Bahamas, playing against outside competition for the first time this summer.

There were highlights all over the court in UK’s 108-56 dismantling of a Dominican Republic National Select Team that was supposed to be the Cats’ top competition of the week. Amid it all, Collins was a revelation.

The two dunks — one midway through the first half, the other just after halftime — will get most of the attention, especially from those who haven’t followed Collins’ brief career to this point. They were impressive indeed, two feats of athleticism that few (if any) college basketball players in the country could pull off.

Asked after the game if he was surprised he was able to connect on those highlight-reel dunks — both long leaps on the baseline, both over Dominican defenders — Collins shrugged it off.

“Little bit,” he said. “But that’s something that I’m used to doing.”

And it’s something UK fans are used to seeing. He’s thrown down incredible dunks before as a Wildcat, but it’s everything else he did that made Wednesday night memorable. And made it plausible to believe that Collins’ season could be a special one.

‘Comfortable’ Collins

A few days before leaving for the Bahamas trip, Collins spoke to the Herald-Leader about how this Kentucky team was coming together in the early stages of the preseason. He also acknowledged the buzz around his own growing game, not necessarily dismissing the hype.

The biggest change from this time last year to now? “I think I am more comfortable,” he said.

It sounds simple, but for someone in his position it’s a game-changing feeling.

Collins did whatever he wanted on the court in high school, averaging 35.2 points, 14.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 6.2 blocks per game in his senior season. He put up those numbers against competition in rural east Texas, where he could largely get by on his rare blend of length and athleticism, and where the game moved slowly enough for his emerging skill to be enough.

Then he got to UK, where there were five-star players up and down the roster and faster, bigger, better competition on game days.

“Coming from high school, everything was new to me,” Collins said. “But now, this being my second year and seeing everything — I think I am more comfortable with it. I’ve been working hard in the offseason. So I am more comfortable with it.”

UK assistant coach Orlando Antigua said a couple of weeks ago that UK fans should expect to see much more from Collins this season, specifically mentioning dribble moves and three-point shooting as new weapons in his arsenal.

Collins missed his only three-point attempt Wednesday night. That was about the only thing that didn’t go his way.

His first shot attempt wasn’t a dunk or a putback but a dribble pull-up, putting the ball on the floor, taking his defender out of the corner, and then rising up to nail the mid-range jumper.

That surely raised the eyebrows of those watching at home. It probably didn’t do much to move those who had seen him play all summer.

“He does things that wow you every day in practice,” UK assistant coach Chin Coleman said a couple of weeks ago. “But what Daimion has done — and what everyone will see — is he’s improved his skill. He’s improved his ball handling. He’s improved his jump shot. His middle game. All of that stuff has improved tremendously. It won’t just be lob dunks for Daimion. He’s really comfortable with being an all-around basketball player.”

On Wednesday night, Collins added more dribble pull-ups. He was clearly comfortable putting the ball on the court, and — maybe even more impressive — knew when to stop the dribble, pull back and reset the offense. He made creative passes, using his length to weave the ball around defenders and find the open man. In perhaps the biggest surprise of the night, Collins led the Cats with five assists. He committed zero turnovers. He also grabbed five rebounds, blocked two shots, ran the floor and — despite his still-thin frame — wasn’t afraid to mix it up in the paint.

“Daimion has put on some weight,” Coleman said. “He doesn’t look like it. He’s still wiry, but he’s a lot stronger.”

In the past, Collins might have shied away from contact. He certainly wouldn’t have been able to flash the skill he did on this night, when he really did look like a completely changed player.

In the Calipari era, it often gets lost that players truly can get better from year to year. With a little patience — and a lot of hard work, something both coaches said has been true of Collins — upside can be unlocked and talent unleashed.

“That’s what we knew that (he could do),” Antigua said after the game Wednesday. “And he still has a lot of room to grow. But the thing is — because of the way that we compete every day in practice — you get in a game where he’s going up against guys that may be a little stronger, a little physical, it didn’t faze him. He made the plays that he’s continued to make. One of the things that we really liked is how many assists he had. He made some great plays, some great decisions. He was able to hold his ground, find guys. And obviously you saw his athleticism and the way he shoots the ball.

“I just think that he’s got an extremely high ceiling.”

If he’s truly ready to realize that potential, Kentucky’s season could get very interesting.

The reigning national player of the year is back for another season, and — while Tshiebwe led the Cats with 17 points against the Dominican Republic — he was largely an afterthought in the team’s Bahamas opener.

That was due to all the other fireworks in the frontcourt. Jacob Toppin showed off some versatility on both ends of the floor. Lance Ware was as active as ever, going for 11 points in 16 minutes and running all night in transition.

But Collins was the star, and his smile on the court — especially after last season’s struggles — was a welcome sight to those who have watched how far he’s come.

“To Daimion’s credit, he put a lot of work in. A lot of time in,” Antigua said. “You’re happy for him when you start seeing some of those results. This is one game. But those are the things that he’s capable of.

“And that’s what we expect from him — to continue to be that way and to make plays that way.”

Bahamas schedule

Wednesday: Kentucky 108, Dominican Republic National Select Team 56

Thursday: Kentucky vs. Tec de Monterrey, (n)

Saturday: Kentucky vs. Carleton University, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)

Sunday: Kentucky vs. Bahamas National Team, noon (SEC Network)

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