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The Kansas State basketball team spent a boatload of money to bring in Illinois transfer big man Coleman Hawkins this offseason. To this point, he’s failed to live up that investment.
Through four contests, he’s averaging just 6.8 points on a career-low 24% shooting. That includes a dismal 28% mark from inside the arc. His latest performance was maybe his worst.
While he did bring down 13 rebounds in the Wildcats’ win over Mississippi Valley State, he shot just 1-of-11 from the floor to total two points. He’s not lived up to the $2 million bill that came along with his signature!
Hawkins was a productive player at Illinois, where he scored 12.1 points per contest as a senior. He opted to enter the transfer portal for his final season after a brief flirtation with the NBA Draft. That move proved lucrative for the forward.
Coleman Hawkins’ NIL deal is as lucrative as any signed this offseason by a college basketball player. Worth in the neighborhood of $2 million. https://t.co/uDEzmdTkYQ
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 14, 2024
Many questioned the Wildcats’ investment at the time given Coleman Hawkins solid but not superb resume. They’ve been proven right to this point. His struggles have come against the likes of MVSU, Cleveland State, and New Orleans.
NIL numbers were eyepopping this past offseason, with Hawkins being far from the only player to get paid. In some cases, those additions will work out. In others, the ROI will have programs scratching their heads.
There’s still time for the forward to improve, and he’s likely to have another shot at the NCAA Tournament with Kansas State. Should the Wildcats make a deep run in the Big Dance, maybe we’ll view things differently. As of now, that $2 million payout is looking like wasted money.