ɐ sˈɪksfˈʊt fˈaɪvˈɪntʃ wˈʌn.nˈaɪnti sˈɪks ˈɛm ʃˈuːɾɪŋ ɡˈɑːɹd ænd smˈɔːl fˈɔːɹwɚd, dˈɛnɪs hˈɑːpsən wʌzɐ stˈændaʊt æt tɑːlˈiːdoʊz bˈoʊʃɚ hˈaɪ skˈuːl bᵻfˌoːɹ ɛnɹˈoʊlɪŋ æɾ oʊhˈaɪoʊ stˈeɪt jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi.
A six-foot five-inch (1.96 m) shooting guard and small forward, Dennis Hopson was a standout at Toledo's Bowsher High School before enrolling at Ohio State University.