Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from the Illini win over Penn State 2.0
4. The rise of Coleman Hawkins will be quick
Illinois was able to land a solid class of 2020 that featured Adam Miller, who was a top 40 recruit. He was the highlight of the class, but I believe we should be keeping a closer eye on the development of Coleman Hawkins.
Hawkins flew under the radar as a recruit, only being ranked as the No. 164 player in his class and not having an overabundance of national recruiting attention. Illinois being able to snag the talented stretch-four was one of the best things that could have happened for the program.
Brad Underwood hasn’t played Hawkins too many minutes this season, but when he has played, the young California native has played well. Through the 13 games Hawkins has seen action this season, he might have saved his best game so far for the one on Tuesday night.
Hawkins received 14 minutes of action in the win over the Nittany Lions. He managed to put up 5 points and 1 rebound in the time he was on the floor. He also hit a three-point shot, which when that develops more, this kid is going to be extremely dangerous.
But what impressed me the most about Hawkins is his defensive prowess. The kid is a stretch-four, so he can guard different positions. Against Penn State, he was on point. Hawkins finished the night with three blocks, which is a season-high. He was a nightmare for the Nittany Lions on defense.
dark. Next. 6 Illini players who will benefit the most from Bret Bielema
The sky is the limit for Hawkins. If he can continue playing the way he is playing right now, then I think he is going to be a starter for as long as he is here starting next season. This kid has a ton of talent.