Former Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins commits to Kansas State

Former Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins has finally settled on a new home for the 2024-25 season, committing to Kansas State following a visit to Manhattan.

Friday morning, NBA insider Shams Charania tweeted out news of Hawkins’ commitment to KSU, noting that the Wildcats really opened up their checkbooks for this late addition:

“Sources: Illinois transfer Coleman Hawkins has committed to play for Kansas State in what’s believed to be the most lucrative college basketball NIL deal ($2 million) negotiated from a collective by Nate Conley of Court XIV and Aaron Turner of Verus Basketball,” Charania tweeted.

Now, that’s a hefty sum for one college basketball player, certainly more than most end-of-the-bench players at the NBA level. In fact, the rising fifth-year senior spurned the pros for what’s likely a bigger payday in Manhattan.

Hawkins averaged 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season in his fourth season with Illinois, helping boost the Illini on a historic run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to UConn in blowout fashion.

Against the Huskies, he only had five points and four rebounds. Hawkins stuffed the stat sheet with double digits against the other three teams Illinois faced in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, though, scoring 12 points vs. Iowa State, 11 points vs. Duquesne, and 10 points vs. Morehead State.

Since that UConn game, Hawkins really took some time to evaluate every one of his options. At first, he entered the NBA Draft but ultimately decided to withdraw and return to college, entering the transfer portal as well.

When that happened, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Hawkins would seek to become one of the highest paid college basketball players in the country.

“Illinois’ Coleman Hawkins is withdrawing from the 2024 NBA Draft and will transfer to a new program. Hawkins is expected to be among the highest-paid NIL college basketball players and is using final year of eligibility for development,” Charania tweeted.

Hawkins initially scheduled a visit with the Louisville Cardinals and had been loosely linked to the Cardinals as the potential final piece of new coach Pat Kelsey’s first roster in the Derby City. Instead, that meetup was squashed before it ever happened and Hawkins pivoted to head to Big 12 country for a visit with Kansas State.

Obviously, the meeting and pitch from Jerome Tang must have worked, as well as whatever NIL offer was on the table, because Coleman Hawkins just became a late and integral piece of the puzzle for the Wildcats in 2024-25. You could easily see him starting alongside fellow transfer, from Samford, Achor Achor, down low.

Prior to his college career, Hawkins originally signed with Illinois as a three-star recruit and the No. 151 overall player in the country in the class of 2020, per the On3 Industry rankings.

Hawkins ranks as the No. 17 overall transfer in On3’s 2024 Transfer Portal Top Players. That leaves him as highest-rated remaining uncommitted player available in the portal. He also rated as the No. 2 PF in those rankings behind only Great Osobor (Washington).