Illinois Basketball: Top 5 NBA prospects on the Illini roster

By Max Feldman | Aug 22, 2020

IOWA CITY. IA- FEBRUARY 02: Illinois head coach Brad Underwood has words with Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) during a time out during a Big Ten Conference basketball game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City Ia, on February 02, 2020. Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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5. Coleman Hawkins

Draft Year Projection: 2023 NBA Draft

While Jacob Grandison, Trent Frazier, Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk and Da’Monte Williams were all on the fringe for this spot, I vouched for the deeper dive with Coleman Hawkins.

As an NBA evaluator, I always harp on the power of a guy who can hit over 1.0 three-pointers per game while also blocking 1.0 shots per game. Hawkins has plenty of work to do in the training room and needs to get tougher in the paint, but his touch out to the three-point arc and ability to block shots using his long, wiry arms does provide a ton of upside.

Hawkins was able to contribute and be a top player on one of the best prep school teams in the nation while playing a national schedule, but it still might be a year or so until we see him provide valuable contributions in the Big Ten.

Next. Illini recruiting wish list for the class of 2021. dark

Jalen Smith, Luka Samanic and Wenyen Gabriel are three young or soon to be NBA big men who can be a figure of development for Hawkins as an NBA prospect.

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