Age

21.6

Height

6'10

Weight

225

Workload

MIN%

80.2

USG%

18

TS%

52.3

Per 70 Possession Stats

PTS

12.3

REB

7.9

AST

3.8

STL

1.3

BLK

1.5

TOV

2.9

Efficiency

RIM FG%

77

MID FG%

40

3PT FG%

27.8

FT%

60.3

Jump to full report

Report by: AJ Carter

Coleman Hawkins

Forward Illinois Fighting Illini

Supersized perimeter defender with versatility and expanding offensive skillset

Age

21.6

Height

6'10

Weight

225

Per 70 Possession Stats

PTS

12.3

REB

7.9

AST

3.8

STL

1.3

BLK

1.5

Positions Defended

Offensive Role

 

Defensive Role

   

Meet Coleman Hawkins.

A 6’10 forward with fluid mobility and a high feel for the game, Coleman Hawkins fits right in today’s era of versatility driven basketball. 

Defense:

Defense is where the intrigue starts with Hawkins, as he was one of the most unique defenders in college basketball this season. Illinois used Hawkins in almost every defensive role imaginable over the course of the year, and he looked comfortable in almost all of them thanks to his unique blend of length, fluidity, and activity. In one possession you can see Hawkins pick up a PG a foot shorter than him 70 feet from the basket, briefly switch onto a post player, and then force a miss with a good contest on a pull up jumper. 

Another strength of his defense on the perimeter are his digs against drivers. His length allows him to be aggressive helping one pass away against drivers while still being able to recover back to his man, and he has a knack for poking the ball away and creating steals. Between this and his on-ball defense, he’s clearly a plus defending away from the basket.

While Hawkins does have some value as a secondary rim protector thanks to his length and feel as a help defender, his overall interior defense is an area where he needs to keep improving going forward. He struggled at times this year as both a 1v1 defender and on the glass against some of the premier front court players in the Big Ten. The main issue is his lack of functional strength currently, which should hopefully improve as he continues to fill into his frame. That and an increased level of physicality would really help him take another leap as a defender. 

Offense:

On the offensive end evaluating Hawkins is a bit trickier, as he’s clearly skilled for a 6’10 player but lacks a defined role. He’s shown some really interesting shot making flashes whether it be deep 3’s, pull ups, or movement jumpers, but the overall percentages (career 28% from 3, 63% from FT entering the tournament) leave a lot to be desired. He does show real touch on some of his push shots/floaters in the lane so there’s potential for him to keep growing as a shooter, but it’s tough to call that part of his game a strength right now despite the flashes.

His best individual skill on the offensive end right now is his passing. His size coupled with generally quick decision making adds value into an offense, although it can be tricky to feature at times. He doesn’t have the perimeter shooting or handle to be a consistent on-ball playmaker, although he has shown flashes there this season. The best fit for his style of passing is likely as a “connector”, which is a label that gets thrown around a lot but genuinely makes sense with Hawkins. He’s shown the ability to both maintain advantages and tear up zone defense in college with quick ball movement and decision making, and it’s easy to see how he could have a similar impact as a short roll playmaker if paired with a dynamic PG (which Illinois has lacked both of the last two seasons). 

Overall, Hawkins is a really interesting prospect that requires a lot of nuance. A lot of his intrigue as a player stems from unique skills that a lot of players his size don’t have (POA defense, passing), but he also struggles at some of the things that you would like to see from a player of his size (rebounding, defending bigger players). The impact of the total package most likely depends on the development of some of the swing skills in between, such as ball handling and shooting, but there’s no doubt that Coleman Hawkins has the outline of a player perfectly suited for modern basketball.

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