Illinois Basketball: Illini big man to enter the 2023 NBA Draft

More Illinois basketball news continues to trickle in as a big man has now declared for the NBA Draft.

Throughout the 2022-23 campaign, the Illini had multiple players who were looked at as potential NBA Draft picks. Terrence Shannon Jr. was consistently one of those players. An aggressive guard who can shoot at times is always an interesting option.

The other Illinois player who was always in the mock drafts was Coleman Hawkins. I don’t think there was a single mock draft this year that left him out of one of the two rounds.

On Tuesday, Hawkins took a step toward achieving his goal of making it to the NBA. He told College Hoops Today that he had plans to enter the NBA Draft but was still keeping his college eligibility.

Coleman Hawkins declaring for the NBA Draft should not be shocking news to Illinois basketball fans

Hawkins was one of the better players on the Illinois basketball team this past season. He averaged 9.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game, which were all career highs.

The announcement that Hawkins is going to enter his name into the draft should not be surprising to anyone. At times, Hawkins was able to knock down some big shots from three-point range. You can tell the ability to be consistent from long range is there, he just has to get to that point.

The ability of Hawkins to do everything on the court is intriguing as well. His 3.0 assists per game led the Illini this past season, and he has decent handles for someone who is 6-foot-10.

A big man who can shoot decently well, handle the basketball, distribute, and rebound is always going to be attractive to the NBA. On top of that, Hawkins had every mock draft saying he is a draft pick, so why not test the waters?

I have said this from the beginning, I believe Hawkins would enter the NBA Draft and keep eligibility. I think he is going to put on a show for the scouts. Hawkins will wow some people, and his draft stock is only going to rise. It would not shock me to see Hawkins creep into the late first round of the 2023 NBA Draft.

I also want to note, in the interview with College Hoops Today, Hawkins mentioned that he wants to be a part of a national title-contending roster. He wants a veteran team. I am not sure he is going to get that if he comes back to Illinois. We lost two veteran pieces and now Jayden Epps has transferred. If I had to guess, we have seen the last of Hawkins for the Illini.