Former Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins, the best player left in the transfer portal, announced Friday he has committed to Kansas State.
Hawkins visited the Wildcats’ campus last weekend after a scheduled visit to Louisville was canceled. An upcoming trip to LSU was also canceled, leaving Jerome Tang’s program as the clear favorite.
A 6-foot-9 forward, Hawkins is coming off his best college season, averaging 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He also shot 36.9% from 3-point range, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as Illinois made the Elite Eight.
He played some of his best basketball in Big Ten play, finishing with 30 points against Iowa and scoring at least 20 points in four other games.
Following the season, Hawkins entered his name into the NBA draft before entering the transfer portal in late April. When he entered the portal, he also said his “intention is 100% to stay in the draft.” But Hawkins withdrew his name from the draft right before the deadline and became the most sought-after transfer still on the board.
He’s ranked No. 10 in ESPN’s transfer rankings.
Tang has now added eight players from the portal this spring. He’s completely revamped his frontcourt, also signing forward Achor Achor from Samford and shot-blocker Ugonna Onyenso from Kentucky. Michigan transfer Dug McDaniel will run the show as the team’s point guard.
Kansas State took a step back in year two under Tang, going from the Elite Eight in 2023 to missing the NCAA tournament in 2024. But the Wildcats’ rebuilt roster has them in position to get back to the tournament in 2024-25 — and potentially ranked in the top 25.