Kentucky Contacts Transfer Portal PG Elijah Hawkins

Mark Pope continues to acquire new targets in the transfer portal. The Kentucky head coach has put an early emphasis on finding frontcourt players, with Amari Williams becoming his first commitment from the portal. There are other frontcourt irons in the fire, but we know of fewer potential point guards on the Wildcats’ radar.

On Tuesday morning we learned a new name of a player who could be the primary ball-handler next year for Kentucky. According to 247 Sports’ Travis Branham, Kentucky is one of more than a dozen schools that have contacted Elijah Hawkins, a transfer from Minnesota. A source confirms to KSR+ that the Wildcats have been in touch with the talented point guard.

Hawkins entered the transfer portal on Monday after spending one season in Minneapolis. In his one season with the Golden Gophers, the 5-foot-11 point guard averaged 9.5 points and 7.5 assists per game, tied for the most in the Big Ten. Last year he shot 37.6% from three and scored in double figures 18 times on a Minnesota team that finished with 19 wins.

A product of Washington D.C. powerhouse DeMatha, Hawkins began his collegiate career close to home at Howard. He averaged 12.9 points per game over two seasons for the Bison. During his time at Howard, Hawkins traveled to Rupp Arena in the fall of 2022. He scored 14 points in a 95-63 Kentucky victory.

Hawkins is one of a handful of point guard prospects Kentucky has contacted in the transfer portal. Oklahoma State’s Javon Small, Utah’s Deivon Smith, and Texas Tech’s Pop Isaacs are among the point guards on the Wildcats’ radar. The most noteworthy name is Aidan Mahaney, the Saint Mary’s product who’s currently the best available point guard, according to On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings. Kentucky is working to get him on campus after Mahaney previously visited Creighton.

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