Coleman driving through campus one final time. Love the guy!
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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Coleman driving through campus one final time. Love the guy!
I think he can certainly improve his NBA status by coming back. People forget - he was a HORRIBLE 3 point shooter until last year. A bad free throw percentage. And he was careless with the ball.
The only reason he received a sniff of NBA interest is because he increased his 3pt and free throw percentage and substantially decreased his turnovers.
Can he make another leap? Don't know, but if he does, then he certainly can be in the mix for an NBA slot.
The only reason he received a sniff of NBA interest is because he increased his 3pt and free throw percentage and substantially decreased his turnovers.
Can he make another leap? Don't know, but if he does, then he certainly can be in the mix for an NBA slot.
Career Stats
See All| STATS |
|---|
| 2023-24 |
| 2022-23 |
| 2021-22 |
| 2020-21 |
| GP | MIN | FG% | 3P% | FT% | REB | AST | BLK | STL | PF | TO | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 31.6 | 45.1 | 36.9 | 79.2 | 6.1 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 12.1 |
| 33 | 32.5 | 44.1 | 28.0 | 61.4 | 6.3 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 9.9 |
| 33 | 19.0 | 44.2 | 29.2 | 65.0 | 4.3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 5.9 |
| 25 | 6.3 | 34.5 | 23.1 | 68.4 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.4 |
Fan Since '70
- OBS, Florida
I believe the article was spot on and truthful and that's all I ever ask of journalists is to report facts. Shouldn't matter if Coleman was offended as he was likely hoping hoping NIL suitors would value him more highly if they thought he was likely to be drafted. Coleman is still one of the most sought after 'free agents' and he will still garner a big payday, which is what he desires. All good for Coleman, and Watkins and others that pulled out, who collect bigger payday than G-League.
Werner isn't a representative of the Illini Athletic Department. He's running a professional organization that covers Illinois athletics, plain and simple. He's not paid to be a mouth-piece of the DIA. What he wrote was fine. Coleman might need to grow thicker skin.
FightinIllini30
Future insider
I’m young and have only been *really* following Illinois basketball since my junior year of high school (about 6 years) and in that time I can confidently say that Coleman Hawkins is my favorite Illini of all time- hence my pfp lol.
I hope he finds success wherever he goes and, like all other posters on here, hope if/when he plays the beloved that we win by 30 or more. Love ya CoHawk
I hope he finds success wherever he goes and, like all other posters on here, hope if/when he plays the beloved that we win by 30 or more. Love ya CoHawk
Agreed. He made a huge leap between 3rd and 4th year. If he makes a similar leap for year 5, he could help his NBA stock.
Best of luck to him (unless he's playing us).
Illini in Indiana
- Indiana
Since this will be a Coleman thread today
Good luck and go get your money!! The time to cash in is short and he deserves all the $$$ he can grab.
Good luck and go get your money!! The time to cash in is short and he deserves all the $$$ he can grab.
Yeah I think it was unnecessary for the Illini Inquirer tweet to lead with “ he’s not projected to be drafted” factually or not the headline is. Coleman withdrew from the draft and is going elsewhere- it seems they buried the lead
he could have even said “by mutual decision or parting ways amicably” or whatever the right phrase would be so it’s clear he’s not turning his back on Illinois- his loyalty shouldn’t be questioned here- it’s clear Brad didn’t have a spot for him at his price
Sensitive much?? Nothing wrong with Werners article. He was not projected to be drafted, and that is OK.Ok, I want to preface this comment by first saying that:
1) I generally like Werner and intend what follows to just be constructive criticism (and a relatively minor one at that)
2) I like Coleman, feel bad for him that he's resorting to his plan B here, and wish him nothing but the best wherever he goes
3) I also really like the guys we've brought in to play in our front court - I can't wait to see what all 4 of Ivisic, Humrichous, Morez, and Booth can become.
Now, disclaimers out of the way, about this article:
I just wish Werner would have left the "not projected to be drafted" language out of this article. In my opinion it comes across as a minor, and yet unnecessary, shot at Coleman on his way out. I think it would have been better to just stick with something to the effect of: Coleman apparently didn't feel confident enough in landing a guaranteed contract, and has decided the best move for him will be to entertain NIL offers in the transfer portal. Let the national guys that actually do the draft projections explain those projects, but I'd rather the Illinois homer guys give Coleman a more positive spin. (And he does note Coleman's success and impact at Illinois, so I'm not saying that aspect wasn't there at all.)
Reports: Coleman Hawkins withdraws from NBA Draft, to transfer to another program
Hawkins was not projected to be drafted and now is one of the top transfers on the market247sports.com
Maybe I'm quibbling too much here, but I just thought that the "not projected to be drafted" wording was unfortunate. Am I off base?
True. Again, I’m not saying what Werner wrote wasn’t true - as you say he cited the projections and he was factually correct to the letter of what he wrote.
My question was to the utility of saying it. But I probably should have been more clear in my original comment.
Appreciate your take
Edit: I'm realizing there is a fair bit of nuance here that I haven't done the best job of navigating. I'll try one more time:
1) What Werner wrote was factually correct in the sense that major outlets were indeed projecting Coleman outside of the top 60.
2) Coleman's tweet saying that Werner's article was a lie was technically incorrect, since Werner explicitly said Coleman was "not projected to be drafted" and then cited those projections
3) My guess is that Coleman's REAL issue would have been with those projections, if maybe he was being told in meetings and workouts that "hey we'll draft you, but it will be for a 2-way contract instead of a guaranteed one."
4) I still would have preferred Werner to hedge his article more toward "Coleman was not assured of a guaranteed contract" as opposed to "Coleman was not projected to be drafted". Both would have been true statements, but the first one is a bit less harsh than the second.
5). I realize I'm nitpicking and probably should have left the whole thing alone.
I think your edit is the 100% correct take on this whole "situation". If Coleman Hawkins thinks we all believe he was told he was going to get drafted, but then just "nah"'d himself out of the draft, he's either stupid or willfully dense.
He needed to just not respond to or comment on the article.
i didn't want to regurgitate the what if's, but i feel like his game could have
improved where he could of been a top ten pick. A 6'11" glue guy who's not
going to be the best player on any of the teams paying $2 mil. for him is
the status of big time college basketball.
improved where he could of been a top ten pick. A 6'11" glue guy who's not
going to be the best player on any of the teams paying $2 mil. for him is
the status of big time college basketball.
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If Werner is reporting it, he doesn't just make stuff up for clicks, he is reputable. So I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he did hear from credible sources that Hawkins wasn't going to get drafted.
This isn’t lost on me…your point is valid. I would say Werner knows Coleman well after 4 years and that Coleman would react negatively to this language…the situation is still raw for Coleman (still short of his dream) and for us (losing Coleman). And Coleman responded…with a lot of players and fans watching him on social media. I just don’t like the situation.
That is picking nits off of nits. What about being ranked in the 70s or lower by all the major draft services says "likely to be drafted"? He was unlikely to be drafted. Period. Not controversial.Ok, I want to preface this comment by first saying that:
1) I generally like Werner and intend what follows to just be constructive criticism (and a relatively minor one at that)
2) I like Coleman, feel bad for him that he's resorting to his plan B here, and wish him nothing but the best wherever he goes
3) I also really like the guys we've brought in to play in our front court - I can't wait to see what all 4 of Ivisic, Humrichous, Morez, and Booth can become.
Now, disclaimers out of the way, about this article:
I just wish Werner would have left the "not projected to be drafted" language out of this article. In my opinion it comes across as a minor, and yet unnecessary, shot at Coleman on his way out. I think it would have been better to just stick with something to the effect of: Coleman apparently didn't feel confident enough in landing a guaranteed contract, and has decided the best move for him will be to entertain NIL offers in the transfer portal. Let the national guys that actually do the draft projections explain those projects, but I'd rather the Illinois homer guys give Coleman a more positive spin. (And he does note Coleman's success and impact at Illinois, so I'm not saying that aspect wasn't there at all.)Reports: Coleman Hawkins withdraws from NBA Draft, to transfer to another program
Hawkins was not projected to be drafted and now is one of the top transfers on the market
Maybe I'm quibbling too much here, but I just thought that the "not projected to be drafted" wording was unfortunate. Am I off base?
He's looking at a better and more certain payday at Arkansas than as a (maybe) 2 way guy in the NBA. Then after next season take his shot in the draft again but with a nice little nest egg of a million or so to fall back on.
CH did the same thing when Piper reported that the vibe in the locker room seemed off. Before long, we had Skyy quitting the team, Epps quitting in the middle of a game and Mayer pounding so many energy drinks he couldnt make it to practice and doing whatever the h*ll he wanted during games.
Did you read the article? Over the top positive
Goillinikobd
- Southeastern US
It’s always possible that CH could pull off a Podz type metamorphosis, but he can’t get 3 years younger.
Several good points made above, it’s always interesting to see the myriad of perspectives on any given topic.
One final thing I think I should add: the fact that the “not projected to be drafted” wording was featured in the byline of the article and thus prominent in the twitter post is plausibly the thing that caught Coleman’s attention and illicited a response. And my guess is that the decision on what to put there could have been made by an editor and not Werner himself. Just wanted to acknowledge that.
One final thing I think I should add: the fact that the “not projected to be drafted” wording was featured in the byline of the article and thus prominent in the twitter post is plausibly the thing that caught Coleman’s attention and illicited a response. And my guess is that the decision on what to put there could have been made by an editor and not Werner himself. Just wanted to acknowledge that.
About 10 years ago I suggested to some friends/family that the NCAA/Schools need to figure out a reasonable means of providing something like a stipend to the athletes. Based on the fact that scholarship agreements stated that the athletes could not work (don't remember the deatils) and were supposedly limited to 20-25 hours per week in team activities (also don't remember the details). I thought, why not pay them for those hours based on something like minimum wage, or other factors. I felt it would have kept the non-professional status and allowed them to be student athletes. I know it would not have eliminated the "hands out" mentality and backroom deals, but I think it would have avoided the current situtation. I felt it was just a matter of time before good attorneys got involved with these athletes. This was long before "NIL" was coined. And you are 100% correct about the NCAA businessmen not thinking it through very well. But, we have seen enough from the NCAA to not be surprised.
I get what you're saying but I think there's more to it. He's getting NBA interest because he's a unique prospect. He's 6'10", can handle the ball, guard every position on the floor, great at pick & pop, very good 3 pt shooter when not having to create his own shot, good rebounder, good passer, can protect the rim, etc. Most of his shooting problems came from the fact that he was taking a lot of bad shots & his % went up last year b/c he took way better shots. Because of all of that, I still believe he's better suited for the pro game than college. This might cause a firestorm, but I actually think he would be a perfect fit on the Celtics in the role that Al Horford is playing. Not comparing him to Horford, who's had an amazing career...just saying he would be a way better defender, could guard multiple positions, and would shoot a similar percentage from 3.
Loyalillini10
- Urbana, IL
I agree. I think his knee was a big hinderance to his draft stock this year.
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
three years to eliminate that damn pump fake
I don't disagree with it being a bummer of a situation, BUT Werner's job is to report, not coddle players feelings. Obviously he has to have tact, but if he is hearing that Hawkins wasn't going to get drafted, that's an important piece to the story.
Like BU and CH reportedly are, I’m fine with him leaving. Now I’ve never been the biggest CH fan, but there is no questioning he’s a good player who helped the Illini win a lot of games. But once the staff had an inkling that coming back if he withdrew from draft wasn’t necessarily his first choice, they had to move on. And I think they did a good job of putting together the roster for next year (and hopefully beyond).
Someone in the previous thread said CH leaving was a big miss for the staff and paying him big to bring him back would show Illini are loyal to their players. But what about the value of being transparent these new players signing under the assumption CH wouldn’t be back? Just as the Illini reportedly are upfront and honest about NIL compensation with players, being “loyal” and holding to what you’ve told these new players could pay dividends down the line.
I’d really be interested to know the feedback CH got both this year and last as to what he needs to show to improve draft stock. I’m not sure he’ll do enough to ever be a projected first rounder. But he gets a nice payday and the chance to try again. And I think trying somewhere else is appealing for him. He played here 4 years and no harm in wanting to try something new. Good luck to him.
Someone in the previous thread said CH leaving was a big miss for the staff and paying him big to bring him back would show Illini are loyal to their players. But what about the value of being transparent these new players signing under the assumption CH wouldn’t be back? Just as the Illini reportedly are upfront and honest about NIL compensation with players, being “loyal” and holding to what you’ve told these new players could pay dividends down the line.
I’d really be interested to know the feedback CH got both this year and last as to what he needs to show to improve draft stock. I’m not sure he’ll do enough to ever be a projected first rounder. But he gets a nice payday and the chance to try again. And I think trying somewhere else is appealing for him. He played here 4 years and no harm in wanting to try something new. Good luck to him.
CH contribution to Illinois BB was a big part of our programs rise to the upper echelon of big ten.Having said that I feel his talent might be over rated by most Illini fans.Fans seem to love his social media takes,personality,etc. as much as actual production.His knee issue is concerning to me going forward and might be part of the low draft appeal.Averaged 12.1 points and 6 boards a game,seems easy enough to replace right.The fact of his height being 6'8 and vertical of 29 inches not helping his stock.Not meant to minimize Colemans contribution to the beloved,just feel that we have quality at PF to move foward.
Listen, I love Coleman. Great guy. And I don't think Horford is a good comp - Horford is larger (20+ pounds), an interior player, and a much better rebounder who developed a 3pt shot later in his career. Coleman can't possibly be a 5 in the NBA.
His problem is that he is pretty darn good at a bunch of things, but doesn't have one standout talent. yet! If he can bump up his 3 pt shooting and his handle, I think he has a shot. But he only has 1 year of evidence that he is close to being an NBA player. So if he comes back and keeps improving, I think he may get a role.
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