Senior forward Coleman Hawkins entered his name into the transfer portal on Tuesday afternoon according to Matt Norlander on X. This comes seven days after announcing his decision to enter the NBA Draft. After four years in Champaign, the three-time Big Ten champion will explore all options for the 2024-25 season.
Arriving in Champaign from Sacramento, California, Hawkins patiently waited his turn with the Illini. As the program earned its first No. 1 seed in March since 2005, Hawkins sat behind a loaded frontcourt including Kofi Cockburn, Giorgi Bezhanishvili and Jacob Grandison. Playing time improved as a sophomore, and the forward began to show his potential in the latter half of the season.
Hawkins started in all 68 games in his last two seasons, improving statistically in both. While turnovers plagued him at times, Hawkins remained the heart and soul of the Illini, averaging 12/6/3 as a senior while adding elite floor spacing ability from a 6-foot-10 player. He shot 37% from beyond the arc on 4.6 attempts per game this past season, including multiple memorable logo shots during the team’s Elite Eight run.
After entering his name in the 2023 NBA Draft and later withdrawing it, Hawkins will once again play around with the process. “My intention is 100% to stay in the draft and I am fully focused on that process,” he said in a social media statement on Tuesday. “With the recent NCAA rule change regarding grad transfers, and the May 1 deadline approaching, entering the portal gives me the best chance to protect myself in those instances and maximize my opportunities as I go through the pre-draft process.”
In most recent NBA mock drafts, Hawkins is projected to be a very late second-round pick. If he is chosen where most expect him to be, or if he goes undrafted, the potential of Hawkins signing a two-way contract and spending part of the season in the NBA G League is very high.
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If he sticks with the collegiate route, he will likely have a number of high-level suitors after being a key player in Illinois’ postseason success over the last few years.
