Coleman Hawkins Cheering On Ex-Teammate In NBA Playoffs
In this story:
The Golden State Warriors are headlined by future Hall of Famers Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry.
But sophomore guard Brandin Podziemski should get some love, too. Luckily, his former Illinois teammate Coleman Hawkins already showed support, reposting him on Twitter during his dominant four-game streak toward the end of the regular season.
Hawkins is likely still cheering on Podziemski after the sophomore's 14-point performance in Golden State's Game 1 victory over the Houston Rockets Sunday night. He was the highest-scoring Warrior outside Butler and Curry.
The breakup between Illinois and Hawkins was a loss on both ends. Hawkins finished an underwhelming season with Kansas State, missing the NCAA Tournament and putting a dent in his draft stock. Meanwhile, Fighting Illini fans missed Hawkins all season, expressing their support for the fifth-year senior since he transferred.
Hawkins still averaged 10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks last season, logging career highs in several categories. He could still be an asset to an NBA team as a well-rounded prospect.
For now, though, it seems Hawkins is enjoying himself before entering Draft preparation.
"Right now, I'm doing everything that I couldn't do when I was playing," Hawkins said on The Field of 68 After Dark podcast last month. "I'm golfing, I'm going to NBA games, just doing stuff that I wouldn't be doing right now. Just enjoying my free time until I start ramping it up for pre-Draft."
Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
Jayden is a journalism school graduate of Howard University. He was the 2024 recipient of the Terez Paylor scholarship award. He previously worked at the Orlando Sentinel.
Follow jaydenarmant