Coleman Hawkins' Role For Kansas State Likened To One Coined By Six-Time NBA Champion

Jan 7, 2025; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard Coleman Hawkins (33) looks to pass around Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Abou Ousmane (33) during the second half at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson is preparing to make Kansas State forward Coleman Hawkins the focal point of the defensive gameplan for Saturday's Big 12 matchup in Manhattan.

He believes Coleman is the key because he does many things well.

"He reminds me a lot of when Don Nelson used to coach Golden State and he had a point forward," Sampson said of the way the Wildcats utilize Hawkins. "He might have been the first one to do that, that I remember. I think that's probably the best way to maybe describe Hawkins. He's a point forward."

The point forward is a term that was first used to describe NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, who teamed with Michael Jordan to lead the Chicago Bulls to six championships in the 1990s. While Jordan was the primary scorer, it was Pippen's versatility that often gave opponents the most problems.

Hawkins, who transferred from Illinois during the offseason, is averaging 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists. The versatility was on display in a win against Cincinnati when he had 20 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and four steals.

"I think he leads them in assists," Sampson said. "The ball is going to be in his hands a lot. He's got a very high basketball IQ, excellent playmaker. He's a kid that's capable of getting a triple double ... He requires your attention." 

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

Follow our coverage on Facebook

X: @KStateOnSI