K-State's Coleman Hawkins Pleas For Ex-Teammate To Make NCAA Tournament

Coleman Hawkins tweeted his support for his former Illinois teammate.

Illinois Fighting Illini forward Ty Rodgers (20), Illinois Fighting Illini forward Coleman Hawkins (33) and Illinois Fighting Illini guard Luke Goode (10) defend Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) during the NCAA men s basketball game, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill. Purdue Boilermakers won 77-71. | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Even as a Kansas State Wildcat, star forward Coleman Hawkins always shows love to his former Illinois Fighting Illini.

His latest praise was to former Illinois forward Luke Goode, whom Hawkins played with for three seasons. Goode is averaging 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists this season at Indiana. He had 11 points and eight rebounds in the Hoosiers' victory over Ohio State.

Indiana finished ninth in the Big Ten, facing Oregon Thursday afternoon in the conference tournament.

Get Luke Goode in there

— Coleman Hawkins (@colehawk23) March 8, 2025

Meanwhile, Hawkins and Kansas State are making their own push toward the Tournament through the Big 12 championship. After defeating Arizona State, the Wildcats face Baylor (18-13, 10-10 in Big 12) Wednesday night. Hawkins neared his career-high scoring with 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field.

The Wildcats have had a rollercoaster of a season, opening the conference on a 1-6 record before winning six straight as the hottest team in the country. They lost four consecutive games in an ugly streak, forcing their path to the NCAA Tournament through the Big 12 tournament. Hawkins says the opportunity to show their true form fuels him through the postseason.

"Just knowing that the season before just wasn't what we planned on," Hawkins said in the postgame presser. "Like I said, I feel like we can beat anybody in the country. Just trying to make a statement, really. I feel like that's a good key for us. Still having the opportunity to win basketball games as well, who wouldn't wanna do that? That's what keeps us motivated."

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.