Illinois Basketball: Coleman Hawkins talks Illini and upcoming visits

The Illinois basketball team moved one step closer to landing Coleman Hawkins on Tuesday afternoon.

Hawkins took to Twitter to announce that he will be taking an official visit to Illinois on September 13-15. The visit to Champaign will be the first for Hawkins who is looking for a home to play his four years of collegiate basketball.

Hawkins is a 6-foot-8, 195-pound power forward from Prolific Prep High School in Antelope, California. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 191 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 31 power forward in the nation. He is also the No. 20 player in the state of California.

The list of scholarship offers for Hawkins grew to around 12 over the last few months, but it looks like he is ready to start narrowing his list. He was able to confirm with the Writing Illini that the Orange and Blue weren’t the only ones getting an official visit. Hawkins will also be taking official visits to Marquette on September 20-22 and USC on October 18-20.

I know why I would love Hawkins on the Illini. This kid seems to have a lot of potential on the basketball court. I love his length. While he is 6-foot-8, it seems like his wingspan is even bigger. I can’t find measurements on his wingspan, but having a big wingspan is something I want on the team.

Hawkins’ ability to score the ball is exciting too. He has the ability to post up on the block but then can step out and hit a three-pointer when it is needed. That is a dangerous combination, especially at the college level.

While I know why I want Hawkins to join the Illini, why does he find the program intriguing?

“I’m close with Coach Chin and I have a connection to Chicago, which isn’t far from Illinois as you know. They play in one of the toughest conferences (B1G), so you are always playing in tough games. They also have tons of success in the past with a lot of great players.”

Coach Chin Coleman has been doing some work on the recruiting trail for the Illini. He is a great asset to have on the floor coaching the kids and on the road recruiting them. It is exciting to hear that he has a strong relationship with Hawkins.

Illinois could always use more help at the No. 4 spot on the team. No one knows how long Giorgi Bezhanishvili is going to be with the program. Building depth at that position is crucial. Hawkins would be a great addition.