The Kansas State basketball team made a significant investment to secure transfer forward Coleman Hawkins from the portal during the offseason, but unfortunately, that investment didn’t pay off as expected.
Hawkins didn’t meet the high expectations tied to his recruitment, and the team faced struggles on the court. Reflecting on the disappointing season, Hawkins opened up about the challenges.
Kansas State’s season concluded on Wednesday with a loss to Baylor in the Big XII Tournament. The Wildcats finished with a 16-17 record and will miss the NCAA Tournament.
These results were far from what was anticipated after the team’s active offseason in the transfer portal. Head coach Jerome Tang brought in eight transfers from schools like Michigan, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Florida, with Hawkins being the most notable addition. In his final two seasons at Illinois, Hawkins started 68 games, averaged double-digit points, and played a role in the Illini’s deep NCAA Tournament run last March, though he wasn’t the team’s primary offensive option.
His numbers at Kansas State were quite similar to his last year in Illinois, averaging 10.7 points per game while setting career highs in steals, blocks, assists, and rebounds.
However, his impact wasn’t as substantial as many had hoped, partly due to his $2 million NIL deal.
Hawkins struggled with his shooting early in the season but improved as the year went on. Despite his efforts, he never fully met the high expectations set for him.
He also faced criticism from fans, which he addressed after the season’s end. “These guys haven’t experienced some of the things I’ve gone through,” he said. “I really wanted to come in and impact the program… I feel like I let a lot of people down.”
“I feel like I didn’t handle the criticism well. It affected my play. I wish I could have blocked it all out, not just for myself, but for the team,” he added.
Whether justified or not, when boosters invest heavily in a team’s roster, there’s often a reaction when the results don’t meet expectations. This pressure negatively impacted Hawkins, and he clearly feels a sense of responsibility for the team’s underperformance.
With his career now over, Hawkins will miss out on the postseason for the first time after four consecutive trips with Illinois. While he doesn’t regret transferring to Kansas State, he wishes the season had ended on a higher note.
