Kansas State coaches saved the best for last when it comes to transfer portal acquisitions in Illinois’ Coleman Hawkins. The 6-foot-10 versatile forward was a consensus top-20 player in the transfer portal and has a chance to be the best player in a Wildcat uniform next season.
He was selected third team All-Big 10 last season at Illinois and went through the draft process before withdrawing from the NBA Draft before the May 29 deadline. With Hawkins’ skill set and upside, he very well could be the catalyst that allows K-State to compete with the likes of Kansas, Houston, Baylor and Arizona for a Big 12 title this coming season.
What the stats say
Hawkins has seen an increase in his stats and efficiency every year he was at Illinois with his senior season being his best.
He averaged double figures for the first time in his career as a senior and significantly improved his 2-point, 3-point, and free-throw percentage. He averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 53.5% from 2, 36.9% from 3, and 79.2% from the free-throw line.
Hawkins had five games this season where he scored at least 20 points and 10 games where he scored at least 15 points. In the 10 games where he scored 15 or more points, he shot 64.7% from the field, and 53.5% from three with eight of the 10 games coming against Power 4 teams.
Hawkins had a 120.0 offensive rating on an 18.4 percent usage per Bart Torvik, whose analytical website provides rankings, stats, graphs, and tables on every college basketball team, including stat breakdowns on each player. He also had a 15% assist rate, a 2.6% steal rate, a 3.0% block rate, and a 15.7 defensive rebounding rate. He was good at finishing at the rim, shooting 65% on 102 attempts. His 3-point shooting jumped almost nine percentage points from his junior to season and he took 28 more 3s this year. In conference play, he was more efficient shooting 40.5% from 3 and shot 83.6% from the free-throw line in 20 games.
Hawkins’ best game this season was against Iowa where he had 30 points, two rebounds, five assists, and five steals, shooting 81.8% from the field, 60% from 3, and 81.8% from the free-throw line in late February.
What the film says
The film shows a player who can do a little of everything at a high level and will be the most well-rounded player on K-State’s roster. Hawkins showed the ability to switch onto guards and wings at Illinois, especially out of the pick and roll. He moves his feet well for someone who is 6-foot-10 and is smart about getting his hands into passing lanes.
Hawkins averaged one block and one steal per game this past season and you see the disruption he provides on defense. He will play on the wing for K-State and there is plenty of film of him staying in front of guards. The game that comes to mind is he got switched onto two-time first-team All-Big Ten guard Boo Buie of Northwestern and he stayed in front of him and ended up blocking his shot at the rim.
The two areas where Hawkins excelled on offense were in transition and scoring on spot-ups. He scored 1.03 points per possession on spot-up shots, which is in the 71st percentile, and it accounted for 29% of his points.
He scored 1.28 points per possession in transition, which is in the 82nd percentile, and he did it 15% of the time.
Hawkins struggled as the pop man in the pick and pop, scoring 0.92 points per possession in that scenario which is in the 41st percentile and it occurred 15% of the time. The other area where he struggled was with post-ups, which only accounted for 8% of his possessions. He scored 0.69 points per possession which ranked in the 32nd percentile.
There were quite a few things on film that he will be asked to do at K-State, like handle the ball, shoot 3s, guard opposing wings and guards, and get out in transition. He will most likely not be asked to post up a lot especially if Tang wants to run the five-out offense when he’s on the floor.
In conclusion, the film shows a player who has many different skill sets but improved his efficiency this year and is at his best when in transition.
What Tang says
“We’re excited to welcome Coleman and his family to K-State,” head coach Jerome Tang said in a written statement. “He is a winner. He has won everywhere he has been whether it’s a national championship in high school to winning four Big Ten titles and going to four NCAA Tournaments, including the Elite Eight this past season, at Illinois. He obviously can score but he impacts winning in a variety of ways. He is a terrific teammate who is very smart and only makes his teammates better. He plays with joy and passion and has an engaging personality that I know our fans are going to love.”
The fit with K-State
The fit is an interesting one because K-State already has four players on their roster who play the four or five position in David N’Guessan, Achor Achor, Ugonna Onyenso, and Baye Fall. Hawkins played as a stretch four or five while at Illinois but operated more on the wing this season. The more film of him I watch, the more I’m convinced he can play the three or four position for K-State and I believe that’s how the coaches envision it. He can stretch the floor with his 3-point shot, his playmaking is underrated, and he does well when switching onto smaller players.
Hawkins is the most talented and best player Jerome Tang has landed in the transfer portal since becoming the coach. Every major recruiting service had Hawkins ranked in the top 25 of transfers this offseason and he was the best target remaining when he committed to K-State. He is an NBA-type player and has impressed when working out at the NBA combine.
The Illinois transfer has a chance to have a special super-senior season with K-State and the pieces are in place around him for the Wildcats to be nationally relevant again in 2024-25.
