Kansas State has rounded out its basketball roster for 2024. Illinois forward transfer Coleman Hawkins has committed to the Wildcats after an official visit to Manhattan. It was the lone trip of his recruitment, as he just finished going through the NBA Draft process not long ago.
Other trips that were considered were to SMU, LSU and Louisville. However, the lone mainstay in his recruitment was K-State. They were in his top group all along. Others that were involved but not as consistent were North Carolina and Arkansas.
According to On3’s Joe Tipton, he was slated to visit LSU June 17 but the Baton Rouge trip is no longer on the books after his pledge to Kansas State.
In four years for the Illini, Hawkins was a major player. He averaged 7.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while playing in the Big Ten. His most productive season was this past season when he averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
The 12.1 points per game were a career high for Hawkins who also shot a career high 36 percent from three-point range and 45 percent from the field.
Hawkins’ best game in 2023 came in conference action against Iowa. The California native scored 30 points while going 9 of 11 from the field. He also added two rebounds to go along with five assists and five steals in the victory over the Hawkeyes.
In total, the graduate transfer and final piece to the puzzle for K-State scored in double figures 22 times last season and reached at least 20 points in five different games. Hawkins also added six games of eight or more rebounds and had seven games of at least five assists.
He is the ninth addition for Kansas State this offseason. Ironically, that is the same number of transfers that Chris Klieman and the Wildcats added to the football roster in the offseason.
Hawkins joins Dug McDaniel, CJ Jones, Brendan Hausen, Baye Fall, Max Jones, Mobi Ikegwuruka, Achor Achor and Ugonna Onyenso as transfers headed to Manhattan.
According to the On3 Industry Rankings (a combination of all four recruiting services), Hawkins is the No. 17 player in the transfer portal. He was also the best transfer available. K-State now has filled out its basketball roster and has no scholarships available.
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