Jerome Tang Offers Explanation For Coleman Hawkins' Early Struggles For K-State
The million-dollar man for the Kansas State Wildcats, Coleman Hawkins, is underperforming to start the season.
It was reported he received an NIL deal worth at least $1 million when transferring from the Illinois Fighting Illini, but is not meeting those expectations thus far. In the Wildcats' latest game against Mississippi Valley, Hawkins recorded two points and 13 rebounds on 1 of 11 shooting.
The rather terrible efficiency is still not enough to concern coach Jerome Tang.
"Well, what was lacking is rebounding, and he did it today, and so I'm fine. Brendan [Hausen] was 0-6 from three. Coleman missed some layups. They're gonna make those, right? They're gonna do that because he's a good basketball player," Tang said. "I see him doing it in practice all the time. In fact, he shot the ball better this week than he had up onto that point beforehand."
"So, his missed layups were all right, not all right, but it didn't bother me, because he got us thirteen rebounds and seven or more offensive rebounds, and he hadn't done that all year long, so it's been a point of emphasis," Tang shared. "And so he's gonna be alright."
Kansas State returns to action on Friday evening against the George Washington Colonials.
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Anthony Pasciolla is a contributing writer to K-State On SI. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or followed on X @AnthonyPasci.
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Anthony Pasciolla is a sports journalist who began covering the NBA in June 2023. A Philadelphia native, Anthony has experience covering the Philadelphia 76ers as a credentialed reporter. He has written for Miami Heat, Back In The Day Hoops, Kansas State Wildcats, and Illinois Fighting Illini on Sports Illustrated. His work also includes 76ers coverage for The Sporting News and previous stories for Athlon Sports and BasketballNews. When he’s not covering the NBA, you can find him spending time with friends and family or diving into the world of fantasy football. Follow him on X @AnthonyPasci or reach him via email at ampasciolla@gmail.com