“This [sh*t] is a lie” - Illinois transfer Coleman Hawkins shuts down rumors around his 2024 NBA draft projections
Former Illinois Fighting Illini forward Coleman Hawkins has decided to wait on his big-league dreams and withdraw from the 2024 draft. Hawkins' decision to go back to college stems from the recent update in NCAA's rules about institution changes.
With that, the forward aims to maximize his opportunities before the pre-drafts. Despite his clarification, there is hearsay that Hawkins' uncertainty in the drafts forced him to take a step back. Nevertheless, as one of the rumors claimed "Hawkins was not projected to be drafted," the athlete took it upon himself to bash the notion.
"Yeaaa Ight 🤣🤣 this 💩 is a lie," Hawkins replied to the rumor on X.
Hawkins spent four years with Illinois and became one of its key players throughout the years. However, he will not return to the program for his final year as he is seeking a new jersey to don through the transfer portal.
"I have put my heart and soul into Illinois the last four years," Hawkins said at the NBA draft combine (via news-gazette.com). "It would be cool to go back one more year, but I just don’t think it would be the right thing to do — not just for myself, but for the staff and for the people coming in."
His decision to switch teams comes because of the makeover of Illini's roster. The Orange and Blue will see 4 freshman players this season and an addition of 5 players from the transfer portal.
Coleman Hawkins had consistently improved with the program and was their third-best scorer last season. He averaged 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds alongside team-bests of 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
Where can Coleman Hawkins play next?
The Arkansas Razorbacks are heavily favored to acquire Coleman Hawkins for his final season. The program has recently welcomed John Calipari and is also topping it with plenty of exclusive transfer portal talent.
Similarly, Duke can also give Hawkins his expected paycheck. Moreover, they are also losing Kyle Filipowski this season, a forward whose absence leaves behind a void in their lineup. With that, the Blue Devils can also give Hawkins ample chances to grow.
The Arizona Wildcats will have plenty of vacant minutes this season, having lost four players to the transfer portal. This creates a vibrant opportunity for Hawkins to pursue his development. The program is eyeing depth at the moment and could immediately put Hawkins in a position to make an impact.