Tag: coleman hawkins

Basketball transfer portal target Coleman Hawkins chooses Kansas State over UNC

Maybe missing out on Coleman Hawkins wasn’t the worst thing in UNC’s transfer portal pursuits.

The UNC men’s basketball team struck out, once again, chasing a top target in the transfer portal.

North Carolina’s latest miss was Coleman Hawkins, the big man who – last season – led Illinois to its first Elite 8 appearance since 2005. Hawkins averaged 6.1 rebounds and a career-high 12.1 points per game, so when he initially entered his name in the transfer portal, it came as no surprise he has plenty of suitors.

The Tar Heels are in need of an experienced starting center. They already have Jalen Washington and Zayden High on the roster, plus incoming freshman James Brown, but Washington is the only one with extensive experience – and he was a reserve last year.

I like the idea of Washington starting, but it’s discouraging to see UNC strike out on these top talents.

On Friday, June 14, Hawkins announced that he’d be transferring to Kansas State. The Wildcats, like the Fighting Illini, made the Elite 8 last year.

If there was any speculation about Hawkins chasing money in the transfer portal, his NIL deal at K-State confirms that speculation. Hawkins’ deal is reported to be over $2 million.

North Carolina did add a couple starters in the transfer portal, though, snagging Cade Tyson from Belmont and Ven-Allen Lubin from Vanderbilt. Tyson is expected to replace Cormac Ryan at small forward, while Lubin will likely replace Harrison Ingram at power forward.

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Coleman Hawkins commits to Kansas State and reported $2M payday

Coleman Hawkins commits to Jerome Tang and the Kansas State Wildcats, reportedly earning over $2M in NIL money.

Coleman Hawkins, arguably the best player still available in the college basketball transfer portal, announced on Friday he will suit up for the Kansas State Wildcats for his final season of eligibility.

A source confirmed to CBS Sports that Hawkins’ NIL deal is slightly over $2M, making him the highest paid college basketball player over Great Osobor, who followed his coach Danny Sprinkle from Utah State to Washington.

Hawkins spent the past four seasons at Illinois, averaging 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists last year for Brad Underwood’s club. He then put his name in the NBA draft process but decided to return to school when he didn’t get assurances he’d be selected in the draft later this month.

Hawkins then became among the most sought after players in the portal, ultimately choosing Kansas State over programs like North Carolina, Arkansas, Louisville, LSU, and SMU.

For the Wildcats, Hawkins becomes one of many high profile transfer additions, coming to Manhattan alongside point guard Dug McDaniel (Michigan), forward Achor Achor (Samford), center Ugonna Onyenso (Kentucky) and big man Baye Fall (Arkansas) – among others.

How coach Jerome Tang puts all the pieces together will be among the more intriguing storylines in the Big 12 and all of college basketball next season, but there is little doubt Hawkins will make a big impact on the ‘Cats.

Star Illinois basketball transfer Coleman Hawkins cancels LSU visit, commits to Kansas State

The Tigers were expected to host the coveted transfer this weekend, but there’s been a change of plans.

LSU was hoping to hold a visit with the top available player in the transfer portal, but it seems that won’t come to pass.

[autotag]Coleman Hawkins[/autotag], a transfer from Illinois who was also testing the NBA draft waters, was slated to take a visit to Baton Rouge following his trip to Kansas State. However, he canceled that trip on Friday, and shortly after, he announced his commitment to the Wildcats.

Hawkins enters his fifth season of college basketball after starting 82 of the 126 games he appeared in during his four seasons at Illinois. This past year, he averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

The graduate transfer power forward would have been the top transfer addition of the [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] era, but the Tigers will instead rely on their already solid transfer class which is paired with a top-10 high school signing class.

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LSU basketball to host top available transfer portal player

LSU will host the top available transfer on a visit next week.

As LSU basketball continues to ramp up its rebuild under [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], the Tigers are set to host the top available recruit in the transfer portal on June 17, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.

[autotag]Coleman Hawkins[/autotag], originally a three-star recruit in 2019, hit the portal after playing four years at Illinois. He’s coming off a career year where he averaged 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting over 45% from the field. The 6-foot-10 forward was a factor inside but could score it from deep too, averaging 1.4 threes made per game his last two years in Champaign.

Along with LSU, Kansas State is also getting a visit from Hawkins. Louisville was originally a contender, but Hawkins elected to cancel that visit.

Hawkins also tested the NBA draft waters before pulling his name and returning to the college ranks.

“I would go somewhere I can enjoy a football game,” Hawkins quipped last month.

There’s a lot more to his decision than that, but LSU’s athletic tradition across the board can’t hurt.

If McMahon pulls this off, Hawkins would be the fourth member of an already strong transfer class that ranks No. 11 in the country, according to On3.

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UNC named a potential landing spot for top basketball transfer portal target

If top college hoops transfer portal target Coleman Hawkins wants to start immediately, he’d be wise to join the Tar Heels.

Even without a ton of incoming activity, the North Carolina Tar Heels are a winner in the college basketball transfer portal.

UNC snagged a major scoring reinforcement on Thursday, May 9, nabbing Cade Tyson from Belmont University. Exactly two weeks later, North Carolina found its replacement at starting power forward in Vanderbilt transfer Ven-Allen Lubin.

The Tar Heels’ only loss was James Okonkwo, a rarely-used reserve forward who transferred to Akron. There was hope Okonkwo would play more this upcoming season with Armando Bacot’s departure, but that’s not a guarantee.

UNC still has one more transfer portal goal, an experienced center, which seems that much more of a possibility now.

On Thursday, May 30, North Carolina was linked as College Sports Wire’s number two landing spot for Illinois transfer Coleman Hawkins, who recently withdrew his name from the NBA Draft.

“The Tar Heels recently added Ven-Allen Lubin from Vanderbilt to shore up depth in the frontcourt, but after losing both Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram this offseason it makes sense for North Carolina to keep looking for more help,” Andy Patton wrote. “Hawkins would fit nicely alongside Lubin and rising junior Jalen Washington up front, and should see plenty of action in Hubert Davis’ system. If the Heels are willing to pony up, this is a nice fit for them as they try to keep up with Duke’s electric recruiting class.”

If UNC is able to snag Hawkins, I imagine him starting at center from Day One. Hawkins is 6’10”, coming off a career-high 12.1 points per game last season and – most importantly – he comes from a winning program that made the Elite Eight last season.

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Warriors add Illinois playmaker in second round of latest Rookie Wire mock draft

In the latest mock draft from Rookie Wire, the Warriors landed Coleman Hawkins out of Illinois in the second round.

Although the Golden State Warriors don’t have a pick in the first round of the upcoming NBA draft, Steve Kerr and Mike Dunleavy Jr. will have the chance to add a player when they hit the clock in the second round of the 2024 draft.

Heading into June’s draft, the Warriors have one pick, the 22nd pick in the second round (52nd overall). As draft season heats up, mock drafts are beginning to release predictions for the draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

In the latest mock draft from Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire, the Warriors added a playmaker out of Illinois in the second round of the draft. At No. 52 overall, the Warriors selected 6-foot-10 forward Coleman Hawkins out of Illinois.

Via @RookieWire on X:

https://x.com/RookieWire/status/1794639651052920961

Read Taylor’s full mock draft via Rookie Wire here.

Hawkins played four seasons for Brad Underwood with the Fighting Illini. In 2024, Hawkins earned All-Big Ten third-team honors, averaging 12.1 points on 45.1% shooting from the field to go along with 36.9% from deep. Hawkins added 6.1 boards and 2.7 assists in 31.6 minutes per game last season with Illinois.

Hawkins helped lead Illinois to the Elite Eight in the 2024 NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual champion UConn.

The 2024 NBA draft is set for June 26-27 in Brooklyn, New York.

Projected second-round pick Payton Sandfort to work out with Warriors

Projected second-round pick Payton Sandfort is among six prospects who will work out with the Warriors on Thursday.

Projected second-round pick Payton Sandfort is among six prospects who will work out with the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, according to Jason Dumas of KRON4 News.

Sandfort was named to the All-Big Ten third team after averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 37.9% shooting from 3-point range in 34 games. He led the conference in 3-pointers (94) and ranked eighth in scoring.

Joining Sandfort in the workout on Thursday are San Diego State guard Lamont Butler, Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins, Washington State forward Isaac Jones, Kentucky forward Antonio Reeves and Auburn forward Jaylin Williams.

The Warriors have one draft selection this year — the 52nd pick from the Milwaukee Bucks — after their first-round pick was conveyed to the Portland Trail Blazers in the draft lottery. The players visiting on Thursday could be potential targets for the team in the second round.

With just one pick, the Warriors hope to find another player late in the draft who can contribute next season. The team received strong production this season from Trayce Jackson-Davis, who was the 57th pick last year and nearly made the NBA All-Rookie second team.

The organization will continue to bring in prospects for workouts and interviews who could be targeted in the second round or as undrafted free agents.

The 2024 NBA draft will take place June 26-27 in New York City.

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2024 NBA Draft Combine: Winners and losers

The 2024 NBA Draft Combine has concluded, and as the dust settles in Chicago, we review the most significant winners and losers from this year’s pre-draft event. Despite being considered one of the weakest drafts in recent memory, the combine still …

The 2024 NBA Draft Combine has concluded, and as the dust settles in Chicago, we review the most significant winners and losers from this year’s pre-draft event. Despite being considered one of the weakest drafts in recent memory, the combine still plays a crucial role. It helps fringe lottery picks, determines if a player is a late first-rounder or early second-rounder, and boosts the chances of players who might have gone undrafted. With the draft just over a month away, here’s a breakdown of the standout moments and performances from this year’s combine.

Big Ten basketball boasts six invites to 2024 NBA draft combine.

Big Ten basketball boasts six invites to 2024 NBA draft combine.

The Big Ten conference produced six invitees for the 2024 NBA draft combine, set to take place from May 12-19.

Those players: Purdue’s Zach Edey, Minnesota’s Cam Christie, Indiana’s Kel’el Ware, Iowa’s Payton Sandfort and Illinois’ Coleman Hawkins and Terrance Shannon Jr.

Wisconsin unsurprisingly did not see any players invited. NBA hopefuls A.J. Storr and Chucky Hepburn elected to enter the transfer portal instead of testing the NBA waters.

Badgers fans hope some players earn future invitations, including rising star John Blackwell, top 2024 point guard Daniel Freitag and transfer forward Xavier Amos.

The invited athletes will perform several on-court skill drills and compete in games during the seven-day event before a crowd well-stocked with scouts and coaches. It will take place at the Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago, Illinois. Strength, power, speed, agility and body size are specifically measured in events such as the bench press, lane agility drills, vertical jump and reactive sprints. 

Per the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, all selected players are required to attend and engage in the draft combine. 

From the 14 Big Ten teams in 2023-24, six athletes received invites.

From UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington, the four Big Ten newcomers in 2024-25, four athletes received invites, including Bronny James.

Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins late addition to NCAA transfer portal

Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins will reportedly enter the NCAA transfer portal while keeping his name in the NBA draft process.

After steady improvement in each of his four seasons with Illinois, forward Coleman Hawkins will enter the NCAA transfer portal as a graduate transfer looking for a new home in his final year of eligibility – according to CBS’ Matt Norlander.

Hawkins had the best season of his college career as a senior in 2023-24, stepping out as an outside shooter and opening up Brad Underwood’s offense by knocking down 36.9% of his three point attempts – a far cry from the 28% rate he carried as a junior.

Hawkins’ growth as a shooter led to a career-high in points per game (12.1) and he tacked on 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks while helping to lead the Illini to a strong finish in the Big Ten and a three seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Hawkins is also in the NBA draft process, where he says his focus remains for now, and has not ruled out a return to Illinois for what would be his fifth year in Champaign.

If he were to look for another school there will be a huge list of suitors, and a move closer to his hometown of Sacramento could be in the cards at places like Arizona, USC, or UCLA.