Vanderbilt Basketball Lands Commitment from Mavrick Hawkins

NASHVILLE—Vanderbilt basketball has landed a commitment from 2026 guard Mavrick Hawkins, he announced Monday.

Hawkins is a class of 2026 guard from The Pembrooke School in Kansas City, Missouri. His only other Division-I offer was from Missouri-Kansas City. He is unrated by 247 Sports and Rivals. His father Jeff Hawkins played at Kansas.

Vanderbilt appears to be drawn to Hawkins' off the bounce scoring ability, composure with the ball in his hands and standout athleticism. Hawkins appears to have a rare maturity as a ball handler for someone his age and could fit well within Mark Byington's multiple-ballhandler, up-tempo offense.

"Mavrick is a cool-handed floor general with an explosive edge. A high-IQ point guard who can score from all three levels and gfacilitate with flair, blending control and aggression like a savvy pro," a local evaluator said. "His jumper is smooth and automatic, his reads come fast, and his on-ball defense is fierce. Mavrick knows when to slow it down and when to push the tempo and that ability to play with pace, pick apart defenders, and create for others makes him a true difference-maker."

Hawkins averaged 18.5 points, 4.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game in his junior high school season and will look to build on it with a strong senior campaign before joining Vanderbilt in the summer.

The 6-foot-2 guard is Vanderbilt's fourth commit in the class of 2026. The Commodores already held commitments from four-stars Ethan Mgbako, Jackson Sheffield and Anthony Brown.

Breaking down Hawkins’ game

Hawkins isn’t a flashy recruit, but appears to fit within Byington’s system as a composed ballhandler that is capable of running the show.

The 6-foot-2 has primarily been utilized as a point guard that leads the offense as a result of his floor vision and ability to avoid turning it over, but is also a capable scorer from all three levels. It will take some adjusting before he becomes a power-five rotation player, but Hawkins does have some tools.

Hawkins appears to be apt at avoiding being sped up and can get to his spots effectively off the bounce as a result of his smooth handle. The 6-foot-2 guard has a smooth, repeatable jump shot that he can make effectively off the bounce. His athleticism around the rim is also appealing and allows him to make an impact on the game even when his jumper isn’t falling.

The vision behind taking a commitment from Hawkins isn’t difficult to see. Vanderbilt appears to believe they’ve found a good under the radar get as a result of Hawkins’ quickness and ability to control the game.

Defensively, it appears as if Hawkins at least cares to defend and has the potential to be a good point of attack defender with a significant amount of length. For someone his size, Hawkins’ shotblocking appears to be a strength. The class of 2026 guard can get vertical quickly.

Vanderbilt has more highly-touted recruits in the 2026 class, but appears to like its bet on Hawkins. Who knows what the path to playing time looks like for him, but it appears as if Vanderbilt likes his upside.