One of the top remaining players in the transfer portal, Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins, is officially returning to college after withdrawing his name from the NBA Draft.
One writer at 247Sports, Cameron Salerno, tackled the task of listing potential landing spots for Coleman Hawkins and included four teams from the Big 12 Conference on his list.
West Virginia, Arizona State, BYU, and Kansas State were mentioned in the article, in addition to Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas, Memphis, Oregon, and San Diego State.
WEST VIRGINIA
“It’s a new era in Morgantown with former Drake coach Darian DeVries taking over the program,” Salerno said. “WVU has been busy in the transfer portal this offseason, adding Tucker DeVries (Drake), Sencire Harris (Illinois), Amani Hansberry (Illinois), Toby Okani (Illinois-Chicago), Eduardo Andre (Fresno State), Javon Small (Oklahoma State) and Joseph Yesufu (Washington State) to a roster that finished 9-23 (4-14 Big 12) during the 2023-24 campaign.”
“There is a connection between the new WVU staff and Hawkins that could help lure him to the Big 12. Former Illinois assistant head coach Chester Frazier joined DeVries staff last month and helped land Harris and Hansberry after they entered the transfer portal. Fraizer — a former Illinois guard in the mid-2000s — had on Brad Underwood’s staff since 2021. Could Hawkins become the latest former Illinois player to follow suit? Maybe.”
“Hawkins would be a fit at WVU because of the need for a starting big man on the roster. WVU’s roster projects to be upperclassmen-heavy because three-star guard Jonathan Powell is the only incoming freshman who was ranked in the 247Sports 2024 rankings. The younger DeVries should and will be the star on offense, but Hawkins could play a significant role in getting the Mountaineers back to the NCAA Tournament.”
ARIZONA STATE
“Speaking of Quaintance and money, Arizona State makes sense because of Hawkins’ West Coast roots and the ability of the Sun Devils to give him a large role from Day 1,” Salerno said. “ASU recently flipped four-star guard Joson Sanon from in-state rival Arizona and added Quaintance after he backed off his pledge to Kentucky after Calipari left for Arkansas.”
“The Sun Devils have the No. 4 recruiting class in the 2024 recruiting cycle by 247Sports coming to campus this fall. Barring more late de-commitments, ASU would finish with its highest-ranked recruiting class in the 247Sports era. The Sun Devils did go out and add a handful of transfers — including former USC big man Brandon Gardner — but Hawkins would by far be the best. Not only that, but Hawkins would be one of the oldest players on the roster, which could be critical in bridging the gap between the newcomers and experienced players on the Sun Devils roster.”
“ASU has emphasized using more NIL resources to land top high school talent this offseason. With the program moving to the Big 12 ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, adding Hawkins would be arguably the biggest splash in what has been an excellent offseason for Bobby Hurley and company.”
BYU
“New BYU coach Kevin Young has hit the ground running since arriving on campus,” Salerno said. “The Cougars already landed prized international prospect Egor Demin and could be in the running to land AJ Dybantsa — the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 cycle by 247Sports. Hawkins could play either PF or center in Young’s system, which could elevate the program’s standing as they head into their second season as a member of the Big 12.”
KANSAS STATE
“Jerome Tang and company were able to land Samford star forward Achor Achor this offseason, but like BYU, they could use more star power on the roster,” Salerno wrote. “Hawkins would be a good fit with the program and would pair next to Achor nicely in the frontcourt.”
While Hawkins will have no shortage of suitors in the transfer portal, should he become a member of the Big 12 Conference as a Mountaineer, Sun Devil, Cougar, or Wildcat, the league will have added yet another impressive talent to its ranks.
