Kansas State Coach Jerome Tang Says Coleman Hawkins Brings Winning Attitude
Needless to say, Kansas State men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang is ecstatic to add 6-foot-10 forward Coleman Hawkins.
After all, Hawkins, who spent four seasons at Illinois, will provide immediate help on the floor. Last season he averaged 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds, helping Illinois reach the Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion UConn.
Coleman’s performance last season earned him second team All-Big Ten honors from the Associated Press.
Beyond the numbers, Coleman’s impact will be felt in other vital ways.
“The most important thing about Coleman is that he is a winner,” Tang said in a press release. “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,”
Coleman tested the NBA waters because he believed he was ready, foregoing his final collegiate season. But Coleman learned it would be better for him to play one more season in college.
Instead of returning to Illinois, Coleman wanted to experience his final season of college basketball at a new school.
And that desire benefitted K-State, which already revamped its team for this season nicely through the transfer portal.
Hawkins has scored nearly 1,000 career points in his career, which includes 126 games at Illinois (2020-24) with 82 starts. He has totaled 979 career points on 44.2 percent (345-of-781) shooting, including 31.9 percent (118-of-370) from 3-point range, and 69.8 percent (171-of-245) from the free throw line. In addition, he had 581 rebounds, 256 assists, 115 steals and 102 blocks in 2,964 minutes played.
Coleman is the only player in Illinois school history with at least 900 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 blocks and 100 steals in a career.
Tang believes Coleman’s winning persona will help the new-look Wildcats mesh into a successful team in the upcoming season.
“He obviously can score but he impacts winning in a variety of ways,” Tang said. “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.”
David Boyce is a contributing writer to K-State On SI. He can be reached at davidboyce95@gmail.com.
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DAVID BOYCE