Kansas State More Effective With An Aggressive Coleman Hawkins

Dec 30, 2024; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard Coleman Hawkins (33) shoots against Cincinnati Bearcats forward Dillon Mitchell (23) during the second half at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Kansas State forward Coleman Hawkins has dealt with mostly criticism since his high-profile transfer from Illinois last summer.

He quieted the critics with Monday's performance in an upset of No. 16 Cincinnati. Hawkins had 20 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

“I feel like I was a little bit more aggressive," Hawkins said. "I feel like I was kinda all over the place, it’s hard to determine what to do with me because we wanted to exploit if they were switching. If not, try to pick and pop. I was used as a ball handler a little bit, but I think I was just a little bit more aggressive.”

Hawkins was 7 of 13 from the field, including three 3-pointers. He helped the Wildcats end a three-game losing streak in the Big 12 opener for both teams.

The hope is this helps Hawkins build momentum. He's been under fire since signing a huge NIL deal to join the Wildcats last summer. Fans were tough on him during a slow start to the season. He was coming off a six-point performance in a blowout loss to Wichita State.

"Coleman by nature wants to get everybody involved but we need him to be a scorer," K-State coach Jerome Tang said. "We've stressed that to him the last few days. That's what we need from him. I was proud of him being aggressive. Now, it opens up other things for other people."

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

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