It has been a rough start to the 2020-21 basketball season for freshman guard Brandon Boston Jr.
Boston entered the season as one of the top recruits in America and a projected top-five pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, but after shooting 35% to start the season, the 6-foot-7 guard has lost some minutes and watched his draft stock fall.
After Boston pitched in a six-point performance on 3-9 shooting and received boos in Rupp Arena during the game against Vanderbilt on Tuesday, Boston took to Twitter to say he doesn’t need sympathy for his play through the first nine games.
“I don’t need no sympathy,” Boston said. “I’m a man who step up to every challenge and face it.”
I don’t need no sympathy, I’m a man who step up to every challenge and face it
— Brandon Boston Jr (@bboston_) January 6, 2021
The tweet comes following John Calipari’s press conference, where the UK head coach asked fans to rally behind Boston during his slump.
“We need our fans to absolutely support BJ,” Calipari pleaded. “I don’t know why anybody would be nasty to anybody. If you want to be nasty, be nasty to me. It’s my fault. Don’t be nasty to him. I’m the one who put him in the game. So, if you’re mad, just be mad at me. Be positive. Everybody left Devin alone. When Devin struggled early, no one really got on Devin. Our fans left him alone and they let him do his thing and look where Devin is now. And now I’m saying the same thing.
“Our fans haven’t been bad on BJ. They’ve been pretty good because they’re good people. They’re not nasty. They’re not trolls. That’s not who they are. So now, you’ll see him begin to come — and you know what? You’ll feel like you played a part in it.”
Earlier in the night on the SEC Network broadcast, commentator Tom Hart confirmed that Boston has been living with Calipari during the difficult slump. The UK head coach previously noted a player was staying at his house during his call-in radio show Monday evening.
A strong statement for the freshman guard. Let’s hope he turns it around on Saturday against Florida.
