Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win vs Michigan State

3. One of Hawkins’ best games

I know this sounds like a crazy slide. If you just look at the box score, you aren’t going to be blown away by Coleman Hawkins’ numbers.

The kid didn’t have a statistically impressive performance by any means. He would finish the game with two points, four rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal on 1-of-4 shooting from the field. That is an okay stat line for a player.

But I am going to be honest, I was down on Hawkins entering the game against Michigan State. For much of the season, I thought he had looked pretty bad. He always seemed a step behind the opponent and looked lost on the court quite a bit.

Hawkins’ defense was also struggling this season. He would get burnt and have to trail his defender. This would lead to Hawkins fouling when the opponent would go up for a shot at the basket. Hawkins would be slow to close out on opponents out on the three-point arc as well.

Saturday was a different story, though. Hawkins looked engaged and like something clicked in his head. He was sensational on defense and didn’t have any dumb plays on the court. He would finish with zero turnovers in the game, which is the first time he has done that when he has played at least 14 minutes in a game.

If you didn’t watch the game, you won’t understand what I am saying in this slide. The box score does not tell the story on Hawkins. This kid was a crucial part of the Illinois victory. If he can continue picking up the speed of the game, then there is no telling how good he can become.