The Kansas State basketball team made a significant investment to bring in transfer forward Coleman Hawkins during the offseason, but unfortunately, that move didn’t yield the results they had hoped for.
Hawkins, who was expected to make a major impact, failed to meet the high expectations that came with his acquisition, and the team struggled as a result. The veteran player addressed the disappointing season after the fact.
Kansas State’s season ended on Wednesday with a loss to Baylor in the Big XII Tournament. The Wildcats finished with a 16-17 record and will miss out on the NCAA Tournament.
The team’s results were far below expectations, especially considering the offseason changes and additions made through the transfer portal. Head coach Jerome Tang brought in eight new players from various programs, including schools like Michigan, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Florida. Coleman Hawkins was the standout addition among them all, but the anticipated success didn’t materialize on the court.
Across his last two seasons with Illinois, he started a combined 68 games. He averaged double figures while helping the Illini make a deep NCAA Tournament run last March. He was not, however, the team’s top offensive option.
His numbers with the Wildcats were largely similar to what was seen in his final year in Champaign. He scored 10.7 points a night while setting career marks in steals, blocks, assists, and rebounds.
Despite the high expectations, Coleman Hawkins’ impact was not as significant as many had hoped, particularly considering his $2 million NIL deal.
Hawkins struggled early in the season, particularly with his shooting, though he improved as the year went on. However, he was never able to meet the high goals set for him. As a result, he faced criticism from fans, something he spoke about at the end of the season.
“These guys haven’t experienced some of the things I experienced,” Hawkins said. “I really wanted to come in and impact the program… I feel like I let a lot of people down.”
He continued, expressing regret about letting the criticism affect his performance. “I feel like I did a poor job of letting people talk about me. It affected my play. I wish I could just go back and block out everything, not for myself, but for my team.”
Whether fair or not, with boosters investing heavily in player acquisitions, this kind of backlash is likely when the return on investment doesn’t materialize. The outside noise had a negative impact on Hawkins, who clearly feels a sense of responsibility for the team’s struggles.
As his career concludes, Hawkins will miss out on postseason play after four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament with Illinois. While he doesn’t regret transferring, he certainly wishes his time at Kansas State had ended on a higher note.
