Following an incredible first season leading Kansas State, Jerome Tang’s team regressed in his second season as head coach. The Wildcats, who finished with 19 victories and a slim league record of.500 in a competitive Big 12 conference, nevertheless had a successful season. Nevertheless, since the conclusion of that season, Tang and his coaching staff haven’t exactly been sitting around.
The Wildcats, who lost their three best players from the previous campaign due to Tylor Perry’s eligibility runout and the transfers of Cam Carter and Arthur Kaluma, have a lot of movable components in their lineup. Achor Achor of Samford University and former Michigan player Dug McDaniel are two intriguing additions to Kansas State’s roster, but one name stands out above the others.
During his final four seasons at Illinois, Coleman Hawkins went from being a backup forward to a dangerous player who can impact the game in almost every way. Hawkins not only helped guide the Fighting Illini to the Elite Eight during his previous senior year, but he also achieved career-best results in nearly every category. For the first time in his college career, he averaged double figures and nailed 37% of his 3-pointers and 80% of his free throws.
Hawkins is a wing that can play all over the court and distribute the ball, not your typical big man. Because he complements the players the Wildcats have already added this offseason, his addition becomes crucial. Achor and Ugonna Onyenso, who was previously Kentucky’s backup center, both block shots in the paint, but Hawkins gets a more varied role in that frontcourt.
It’s critical to keep in mind that Hawkins shared the field at Illinois with gifted athletes like Terrence Shannon Jr., Kofi Cockburn, and Ayo Dosunmu. We’re not acting like he’s suddenly turned into the top offensive option in Manhattan—he was never that in the past. He improves everyone around him slightly and is a valuable scorer, rebounder, and all-around weapon. The Wildcats were prepared to spend as much of their NIL budget as necessary to acquire him, in large part because of this.
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McDaniel will undoubtedly be Kansas State’s leading scorer next season, and we could have easily focused on him instead, but it will be interesting to watch what Hawkins does in his final season of eligibility. Is he able to advance further and position himself for the NBA Draft in 2025? Does Kansas State’s addition put them in a better position to return to the Big Dance in March?
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