Who is Coleman Hawkins? Stats, 247 ranking, NIL for Kansas State basketball commitment

As college basketball teams from across the country work to finalize their rosters ahead of the 2024-25 season, Coleman Hawkins stood as the biggest remaining prize, a proven contributor from a winning program who could be a much-needed final piece for a team with Final Four or national championship aspirations.

Now, the Illinois transfer has found a new home — and, because of it, the outlook for Kansas State looks that much brighter.

Hawkins, universally regarded as the best available player in the transfer portal, has committed to Jerome Tang and the Wildcats, news that first broke Friday morning and was later confirmed by Hawkins himself on social media.

REQUIRED READING: How Kansas State football upgraded its 2024 roster through the transfer portal

Hawkins’ pledge comes about one week after he completed a visit to Kansas State, a trip that occurred after Hawkins’ previously scheduled visit to Louisville was canceled. Shortly before his commitment to the Wildcats, Hawkins also reportedly canceled a visit to LSU, signaling that he was likely headed to Manhattan.

A versatile 6-foot-10 forward, Hawkins was an integral piece for an Illinois team that went 29-9 last season and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, where it lost to eventual national champion UConn.

He was an Associated Press second-team all-Big Ten selection while starting each of the 35 games in which he played. On a talented Illini team featuring a pair of first-team all-Big Ten honorees in Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask, he was third in scoring, tied for first in rebounding, first in steals and first in blocks.

Hawkins has played four seasons of college basketball, but due to an NCAA waiver granted to every player who took part in the pandemic-altered 2020-21 season, he has one more season of eligibility.

With Hawkins aboard, an already robust transfer portal haul for Kansas State becomes that much more enticing. Hawkins is the Wildcats’ eighth transfer addition this offseason, joining a group that already included Samford’s Achor Achor, Kentucky’s Ugonna Onyenso, Michigan’s Dug McDaniel and Villanova’s Brendan Hausen. Kansas State’s transfer class is ranked 12th nationally by 247Sports.

After making a run to the Elite Eight in Tang’s first year at the helm, the Wildcats are coming off a relatively disappointing 2023-24 season in which they went 19-15 and missed the NCAA tournament.

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Coleman Hawkins stats

Hawkins is coming off the most statistically decorated season of his college career, averaging 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field and 36.9% from 3-point range.

Here’s a year-by-year look at Hawkins’ production:

• 2020-21: 1.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.4 bpg, 0.1 spg, 34.5% FGs, 23.1% 3s

• 2021-22: 5.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 0.5 bpg, 0.8 spg, 44.2% FGs, 29.2% 3s

• 2022-23: 9.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3 apg, 1.2 bpg, 1.1 spg, 44.1% FGs, 28% 3s

• 2023-24: 12.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.1 bpg, 1.5 spg, 45.1% FGs, 36.9% 3s

Coleman Hawkins 247 ranking

Following his stellar senior season at Illinois, Hawkins originally declared for the 2024 NBA Draft, but ultimately removed his name from it, decided to go back to college and entered the transfer portal.

He was ranked by 247 as the No. 22 overall transfer nationally. He’s Kansas State’s highest-rated transfer this class, with McDaniel the next closest at No. 53.

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Coleman Hawkins NIL

At least part of what lured Hawkins to Manhattan was a sizable payday.

Hawkins secured a name, image and likeness deal with Kansas State that is reportedly around $2 million, with CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reporting it’s “slightly north” of that mark. Norlander added that the Wildcats have “one of the largest NIL war chests” of any program in college basketball.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the deal is “believed to be the most lucrative in college basketball.”

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Who is Coleman Hawkins? Stats, 247 ranking, NIL for Kansas State basketball commit