Cam Carter, Coleman Hawkins get into heated argument after big hit at end of LSU vs. Kansas State

On Thursday, LSU guard Cam Carter made a statement against his former team, leading the Tigers to a 76-65 win over Kansas State. The Wildcats didn’t take kindly to the loss, especially Coleman Hawkins who had a massive collision with Carter toward the end of the game.

Carter was ultimately called for the foul but he didn’t forget to circle back to Hawkins after the game. Following the teams’ postgame handshakes, Carter approached Hawkins and began to talk to him. Evidently, Hawkins wasn’t a fan of what Carter had to say as he began to approach the LSU standout.

An LSU assistant coach picked up Carter and carried him to the tunnel while Hawkins followed behind at a distance, continuing the verbal exchange. After allowing the situation to diffuse, Carter returned to court under LSU head coach Matt McMahon‘s supervision and explained to the game’s broadcasting crew what caused the collision between him and Hawkins.

“I didn’t intentionally foul him but I didn’t want him to steal the ball from my teammate,” Carter said. “So I was kind of protecting him, that kind of thing.”

WATCH:

K-State's Coleman Hawkins and LSU's Cam Carter had to be restrained after the Tigers knocked off the Wildcats

The two were jawing at each other at the end of the game and it carried over after handshakes pic.twitter.com/e0AmK40r7W

— Landon Reinhardt (@landonian87) November 15, 2024

#Emaw Coleman Hawkins #GeauxTigers #SEC 11 pt win on the road pic.twitter.com/twrFBjU5Dl

— Merl Washburn (@MerlG_Official) November 15, 2024

No matter who took the brunt of the late-game hit, Carter had the last laugh. In the win, he tallied a game-high 20 points while shooting 6-11 from the field and 3-6 from beyond the arc. He also recorded four rebounds and two assists.

In comparison, Hawkins finished the game with just eight points on 3-10 shooting. It’s no surprise that Carter was comfortable on Kansas State’s floor. He spent two seasons with the program before transferring to LSU this past offseason.

Kansas State fans welcomed Cam Carter back with open arms, giving him a standing ovation when his name was announced ahead of the game. It’s easy to wonder if they would’ve been as excited to see Carter again if they knew the performance he was about to have.

It was nothing particularly personal for Carter, who has been electric all season. He scored 21 points in each of LSU’s first two games before tallying 20 on Thursday night. Moreover, he’s shooting a fantastic 11-19 from beyond the arc through the Tigers’ first three games.

Cam Carter couldn’t be happier in his current environment.

“It was all a part of God’s plan with me being here,” Carter said. “I just worked so hard this summer and my hard work, it’s going to pay off. All I can do is trust my work and leave the rest to God.”