Setting Gophers' single-game assists record was Elijah Hawkins taking next step into his own

Gophers point guard has shined the last three games — all wins for Minnesota.

Elijah Hawkins had no idea how close he was to the Gophers men’s basketball team’s single-season assists record Tuesday night until he tied it.

Going into a timeout after recording his 16th assist against IUPUI, Hawkins’ Gophers teammates made sure he knew he was just one shy of the program record.

“So I was just out there trying to fish for another assist,” Hawkins said.

He eventually got it in Minnesota's 101-65 victory at Williams Arena to pass Arriel McDonald in the record books. McDonald had held the record since Jan. 12, 1994, when he recorded 16 assists against Wisconsin. Gophers coach Ben Johnson joked that McDonald probably won’t be too pleased to see his record go.

“If you know Arriel, you know he’ll be a little salty,” Johnson said. “But he’ll be happy at the same time, he’s a huge Gopher at heart.”

But bigger than any record for Johnson and the Gophers is just how much Hawkins has come into his own in recent weeks.

Tuesday was Hawkins’ third straight game with double-digit assists — he recorded 11 in a win over Nebraska on Dec. 6 and 11 more in Saturday’s victory over Florida Gulf Coast. It’s those last three games in particular that Johnson had seen Hawkins find his groove.

“He’s taken ownership. He’s taken ownership in running our offense and making sure it’s running smooth. He’s taking command in huddles and timeouts, which is good,” Johnson said. “And the guys are now looking to him for leadership and direction on the floor, which is what you want to see.”

It was clear Hawkins had ownership of the offense early on Tuesday. He saw the floor flawlessly, finding the open man on play after play. He passed up good shots for great shots. He put his teammates in great position time and time again.

All that added up to a first half in which he recorded 11 assists and no turnovers.

“You want to me in the mindset of a team as, ‘Alright, we can always get a good one, but can we sacrifice and make the one more to get a great one?’ Because as we progress through our schedule, that’s going to be key as you start getting closer to league games,” Johnson said. “Being greedy and trying to get great offensive possessions as you continue to play.”

Earlier in the season, Johnson said Hawkins had a tendency to do too much, almost to the point where he was trying to prove how good he is.

But Johnson said Hawkins has been very receptive to coaching and that as they watched film together and broke down the games, he continued to see him take steps in the right direction. Johnson also said he added some movement to the offense to help Hawkins get in the flow.

“(Johnson) has just been preaching with me to just make the simple play,” Hawkins said. “The home-run play is gonna be there sometimes, but sometimes the simple play is the best play.”

Isaiah Ihnen finding his rhythm for Gophers men's basketball team

Hawkins had no trouble making the simple play on Tuesday on the way to his record-setting night. Johnson said Hawkins looks comfortable out there and that he hopes Hawkins can “keep this momentum.”

And Johnson did have one request — he wants to see Hawkins replicate his recent production in some upcoming Big Ten games. After all, when McDonald broke the record, it was against the Badgers.

Minnesota guard Elijah Hawkins (0) and forward Parker Fox (23) celebrate during the second half against IUPUI on Dec. 12, 2023, at Williams Arena in Minneapolis :: Matt Krohn / USA TODAY Sports