Coleman Hawkins declares for NBA draft
Mar. 28—CHAMPAIGN — Coleman Hawkins is making the sensible move. The Illinois junior is projected in some NBA mock drafts as a second round pick. Hawkins' decision, announced Tuesday, to declare for the draft while maintaining his college eligibility allows him to get the proper feedback on his chances at the next level.
"I have always dreamed of becoming a professional basketball player," Hawkins wrote in a note posted to social media. "Because of all of the support and inspiration from the wonderful people here at Illinois I am going to chase that dream by entering my name into the 2023 NBA Draft while maintaining my eligibility. I am extremely blessed to have this opportunity, and I'm excited to see what the future holds!"
ESPN's Jonathan Givony had Hawkins slotted as the No. 43 overall pick in his latest mock draft released earlier this month. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie dropped his updated mock draft earlier Tuesday and had Hawkins at No. 53 overall.
Hawkins started all 33 games for Illinois this past season. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged a career high 9.9 points on 44 percent shooting, including 28 percent three-point shooting. Hawkins was also the Illini's leader in rebounding and assists at 6.3 rebounds and three assists per game.
Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. has yet to announce his plans moving forward, but the veteran guard is also a projected second round pick according to both Givony (No. 49) and Vecenie (No. 34). Ayo Dosunmu was the Illini's last NBA draft pick, going No. 38 overall to the Chicago Bulls in 2021.
Early entrants for the draft have until April 23 to make that decision. Should they opt to return to college basketball, they have until May 31 to weigh their options.
