As college basketball teams across the country work to finalize their rosters ahead of the 2024-25 season, Coleman Hawkins has stood out as the biggest remaining prize, a proven contributor to a winning program who could be a much-needed final piece for a team with Final Four or national championship aspirations.
Now, the Illinois transfer has found a new home — and because of that, the prospects for Kansas State looks much brighter.
Hawkins, universally considered the best player available in the transfer portal, has committed to Jerome Tang and the Wildcats, news that first broke Friday morning and was later confirmed by Hawkins himself on social media.
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Hawkins’ pledge comes about a week after he completed a visit to Kansas State, a trip that came after Hawkins’ previously scheduled visit to Louisville was canceled. Shortly before his commitment to the Wildcats, Hawkins also canceled a visit to LSU, signaling he was likely headed to Manhattan.
A versatile 6-foot-5 forward, Hawkins was an integral part of an Illinois team that went 29-9 last season and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, where they lost to eventual national champion UConn. .
He was an Associated Press second-team all-Big Ten selection while starting each of the 35 games in which he played. On a talented Illini team with two first-team all-Big Ten honorees, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask, he was third in scoring, tied for first in rebounds, first in steals and first in blocks.
Hawkins played four seasons of college basketball, but due to an NCAA exemption granted to all players who participated in the pandemic-altered 2020-21 season, he has one more season of eligibility.
With Hawkins on board, an already robust transfer portal for Kansas State becomes much more attractive. Hawkins is the Wildcats’ eighth transfer this offseason, joining a group that already included Achor Achor from Samford, Ugonna Onyenso from Kentucky, Dug McDaniel from Michigan and Brendan Hausen from Villanova. Kansas State’s transfer class is ranked 12th nationally by 247Sports.
After reaching the Elite Eight in Tang’s first year at the helm, the Wildcats are coming off a relatively disappointing 2023-24 season in which they went 19-15 and missed the NCAA Tournament.
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Coleman Hawkins Stats
Hawkins is coming off the most statistically decorated season of his college career, averaging 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 45.1 % from the field and 36.9% from 3-point range.
Here’s a year-by-year look at Hawkins’ production:
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2020-21: 1.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.4 bpg, 0.1 spg, 34.5% FGs, 23.1% 3s
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2021-22: 5.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 0.5 bpg, 0.8 spg, 44.2% FGs, 29.2% 3s
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2022-23: 9.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3 apg, 1.2 bpg, 1.1 spg, 44.1% FGs, 28% 3s
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2023-24: 12.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.1 bpg, 1.5 spg, 45.1% FGs, 36.9% 3s
Coleman Hawkins 247 rating
Following his stellar senior season at Illinois, Hawkins originally declared for the 2024 NBA Draft, but ultimately withdrew his name from it, decided to return to college and entered the transfer portal.
He was rated by 247 as the 22nd national general transfer. He is Kansas State’s highest-rated transfer in this class, with McDaniel the next closest at No. 53.
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Coleman Hawkins NIL
At least part of what drew Hawkins to Manhattan was a sizable payday.
Hawkins secured a name, image and likeness deal with Kansas State reportedly worth around $2 million, with Matt Norlander of CBS Sports reporting that it is “a little north” of that mark. Norlander added that the Wildcats have “one of the biggest NIL war chests” of any college basketball program.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the deal is “considered the most profitable in college basketball.”
This article originally appeared in the Topeka Capital-Journal: Who is Coleman Hawkins? Stats, Rank 247, NIL for Kansas State Basketball Commitment
