Get an inside look at Illinois basketball’s final piece to the puzzle for the class of 2020, Prolific Prep’s Coleman Hawkins. The No. 34 ranked power forward joins Andre Curbelo and Adam Miller to round out an electrifying freshman class.
Hawkins is a man of many talents. Whether that’s sticking 13 marshmallows in his mouth during the fourth episode of Super Team: Prolific Prep, or averaging 12.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, the Illini are getting a jack of all trades.
Hawkins signed with Illinois in November of 2019, bringing a complete array of skills to Champaign. The Illini are coming off of its best season since 2005, finishing second in the Big Ten Conference that featured a lot of parody during the second half of the season.
“We are excited to welcome Coleman Hawkins to the Illini family,” head coach Brad Underwood told Sports Illustrated after Hawkins committed. “He is an extremely skilled, versatile player who will be a great fit in our system. He can stretch the floor with his shooting and passes it really well. But what excites us the most is how he can impact the game on the defensive end. His length and ability to cover will allow him to guard virtually any position on the court.”
The 6-foot-10 Prolific Prep power forward is already used to the Champaign area. His team traveled to Champaign Centennial High School, where they dominated St. Louis Christian Academy 107-82 in front of a packed house. Hawkins’ teammate, Jalen Green, was the team’s main attraction, as he is set to forego college and pursue his dream of playing in the NBA.
Hawkins will join Curbelo and Miller, which should give Illinois a boost of local flavor and high-octane action for the rest of the Big Ten Conference to deal with.
Illini fans should have much to look forward to coming in November, given their recent success.