Angel Reese's cousin: Which NCAA player is a relative of the LSU star?
Angel Reese made a name for herself in the NCAA Tournament while leading LSU to a national championship by taking down Iowa 102-85 on Sunday.
Reese generated controversy with some trash talk and hand gestures during her celebration at the end of the game. She posted a 15-point, 10-rebound performance in the title game.
The LSU star averaged 23.0 points and 15.4 rebounds per game this season. The first-team All-American was the nation’s fifth-leading scorer and second in rebounds, setting an NCAA record for double-doubles in a season.
Titles run in the family 👏
Cousins Angel Reese and Jordan Hawkins are BOTH national champions! https://t.co/kw7Z5yt26w
Reese is not the only one from her family starring in college basketball. Her cousin is UConn men’s star Jordan Hawkins.
The family has done a lot of winning as Hawkins was a leading contributor on the UConn team that won the men’s national championship on Monday by taking down Florida Atlantic 76-59.
Hawkins’ UConn team dominated during their tournament run. The Huskies won every game by double digits and were in control in nearly every game. Hawkins scored 16 points in the title game, hitting his season average (16.2 ppg).
Hawkins’ best postseason performance came in the Elite Eight against Arkansas when he scored 24 points. Reese’s best tournament performance came in the first round against Hawai’i when she dropped 34 points and posted 15 rebounds.
Both college stars are from Maryland and shared text exchanges congratulating each other. Hawkins was raised in Gaithersburg, in the D.C. area. Reese is from outside of Baltimore. Both players went to high school with storied athletic programs. Hawkins played at Dematha Catholic High School and Reese attended St. Frances Academy.
Jordan Hawkins and Angel Reese are cousins who grew up together, and now both will be repping the DMV in the Final Four ❤️
#MarchMadness https://t.co/0eqNnLgOt3
Both hope to inspire youth and players from their region. They come from hotbeds of high school basketball talent in the DMV area (D.C., Virginia and Maryland). Kevin Durant, David Robinson, Michael Beasley, Elgin Baylor, Grant Hill and more are from the area.
They were not the only family affair in the Final Four this year. UConn coach Dan Hurley won the national championship alongside his son Andrew. Andrew Hurley is a junior guard who has come off the bench sparingly but appeared in every tournament game this season.