NBA Draft Scouting Report: Illinois' Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins
Forward | Illinois
Height: 6'10” | Weight: 225 lbs
2024 Draft Age: 22.53
Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
Hawkins is one of the most underrated players at the college level, mostly because he doesn’t score the ball all the time. However, he’s still a stat sheet stuffer on both ends and impacts winning at the highest level.
The ultimate connector, the 6-foot-10 forward is a fantastic positional passer and can legitimately facilitate an offense. He’s the archetype of player that can be the offensive hub that catalyzes scoring, even without him being the one taking the shots.
Hawkins scan catch from anywhere on he floor to survey and keep offense flowing. Whether it’s finding a cutter or kicking the ball back out to a relocating shooter, he’s lethal when he catches at the high post. He’s the type of player that’s unselfish and always makes the extra pass. He’s extremely smart with the ball and doesn’t make many mistakes.
At the NBA level, Hawkins could certainly increase the ceiling of a team, but he’s more of a floor-raising type of player.
With that in mind, adding to his scoring output would take Hawkins’ game to the next level. He’s got great touch near the rim and in the midrange with his quick trigger release.
The next aspect of unlocking his offensive game will be the 3-point shot. The Illinois prospect actually has a really smooth jumper, but he’s not efficient from deep. For three-straight seasons, he’s shot a poor percentage from beyond the arc. If he’s able to change that, his upside could be tremendous.
There’s not many guys at the college level that are 6-foot-10 and can notch triple-doubles, but Hawkins is one of them. This speaks to the well-rounded impact he has on the game.
Hawkins is a good team defender and holds his teammates accountable. He does things off the ball on that end that go unseen by most, but are noticed by coaches and scouts. From a production standpoint, he’s produced both a steal and a block per game for nearly the entire season. He isn’t the best athlete, but Hawkins uses his high IQ and smart angles to his advantage and makes the right reads defensively.
A former three-star recruit, Hawkins has always been underrated. Dating back to his high school days at Prolific Prep, he was the guy that made a huge impact but didn’t get as much credit as he deserved because his production often came in ways outside of scoring.
He’s got basketball genes, as his great Uncle, Tom Hawkins, played in NBA and he also has three sisters that played basketball at the collegiate level.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Second-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
2024 Big Board
Want to know more about other potential 2024 NBA Draft prospects and where they might get selected? Check out our Draft Digest Big Board.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
For a free account and access to Cerebro Sports, the largest Basketball Player Database in the world, sign up here.