You know a place has an impact on someone when they go out of their way to come back. That’s the case with former Illini forward Coleman Hawkins, who was at the Toyota Center in Houston to support his alma mater as it earned its first Final Four berth in 21 years. Even two years removed from his final game in an Illinois uniform, the orange and blue still resonate deeply.
“It means a lot to me because of the opportunity that was given to me,” Hawkins said. “I’ve been able to sit in my thoughts and just really think back and cherish the moments that I had (at Illinois). And just be forever grateful for the opportunity that was given to me by coach (Brad) Underwood and his staff. So this program means a lot to me.”
Less than 24 hours before No. 3 Illinois tipped off against No. 9 Iowa, Hawkins was closing out his rookie season in the NBA G League, putting up a 15-point, 12-rebound, seven-assist and five-steal performance for the Grand Rapids Gold in the season finale. However, Hawkins still made the quick turnaround, jumping on a flight just hours later to get to Houston and enjoy the environment of a regional championship game.
“(The trip) was planned because I planned on us winning,” Hawkins said. “But I hopped on a flight at like 5 a.m., set my alarm for like 3:15, got to the airport, got here around 11:30, took a little nap. … I was just excited to see this group because I knew what the opportunity was, and they did it, and I’m super proud of them.”
Hawkins was a key part of Illinois’ 2024 Elite Eight run, although the postgame mood was much different then, to say the least. But without a dominant opponent in the picture to go on a 30-0 run, Illinois was able to jump over the hump and secure a spot in the Final Four for the first time since 2005.
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Hawkins found his way to the court for the postgame ceremony and jumped in on the water gun-filled celebrations in the locker room. It was just like old times, but this time, Hawkins got to soak in how an Elite Eight win felt.
“No one loves Illinois more than Coleman Hawkins,” Underwood said. “And when you’re a part of our family, doesn’t matter if you leave – it doesn’t. You helped us win games, and no one helped us more than Coleman. Four years of NCAA tournament, and I’m as proud of him as I am anybody. He didn’t get to experience this part of it – he was close. But he helped us get here.”
The dedication that Hawkins shows to his former team is not something that Underwood or his players take lightly. It’s a sign of loyalty. As Underwood has stated before, Illinois has a “family” environment, and all players are welcomed back with open arms.
“It’s big time – I think it just goes to show our culture that Brad has built,” said redshirt junior guard/forward Ty Rodgers, who was teammates with Hawkins from 2022-24. “We’re family forever. Coleman’s my guy. With our Elite Eight team, we still text in that group chat every day, almost. Those bonds is why we do it.”
Hawkins has now been able to support Illinois in-person multiple times this year, appearing at the team’s exhibition game, a regular season contest and now a deep tournament run. He’s not done just yet though – he will be in Indianapolis on Saturday to cheer on Illinois as it hopes to get revenge against No. 2 UConn in front of 70,000 fans.
Attending the Final Four is just another small way Hawkins hopes to keep giving back to the program that built him into who he is today.
“However else I can impact (Illinois), whether that’s supporting, whether it’s bringing guys here, I’m gonna do whatever it takes to get it done,” Hawkins said. “This isn’t the end of the story. Whatever I can do to support, I’m going to do it.”
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