Champaign, ILL.– University of Illinois head coach Brad Underwood announced Saturday the signing of three-star forward Coleman Hawkins to a national letter of intent.
Hawkins is in his second season at Prolific Prep, playing on a loaded squad alongside a number of heavily recruited teammates. Prolific Prep went 29-7 last year and is ranked among the top-5 teams nationally for 2019-20. Hawkins is off to a strong start to his senior season, averaging 12.4 points and 4.8 rebounds. He most recently recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards against St. Louis Christian on Nov. 15.
Hawkins is ranked the No. 34 power forward by Rivals, No. 36 by 247Sports, and No. 41 by 247Sports Composite. He is among the top 25 recruits from the state of California, including No. 3 in Northern California by Prep Hoops, and is ranked No. 197 overall by 247Sports and No. 212 in the 247Sports Composite. He played for Dream Vision on the AAU circuit, averaging 7.5 points and four rebounds in the Adidas Gauntlet series.
"We are excited to welcome Coleman Hawkins to the Illini family," Underwood said. "He is an extremely skilled, versatile player who will be a great fit in our system. He can stretch the floor with his shooting and passes it really well. But what excites us the most is how he can impact the game on the defensive end. His length and ability to cover will allow him to guard virtually any position on the court."
Hawkins joins four-star point guard Andre Curbelo in the Fighting Illini Class of 2020.
Coleman Hawkins
Forward, 6-10, 200
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
High School / Coach: Prolific Prep / Joey Fuca
AAU Program / Coach: Dream Vision / Clayton Williams
Notes on Hawkins: Ranked the No. 34 power forward by Rivals, No. 36 by 247Sports, and No. 41 by 247Sports Composite … No. 3 player in Northern California by Prep Hoops … In second season at Prolific Prep, an academy that partners with Napa Christian school in Napa, Calif. … Prolific Prep is currently ranked No. 4 nationally by MaxPreps and No. 5 in USA Today's Preseason Super 25 … Averaging 12.4 points and 4.8 rebounds through five games this season … Most recently recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds vs. St. Louis Christian (Nov. 15, 2019) … Helped lead Prolific Prep to a 29-7 record last year as a junior … Had a number of standout performances, including 23 points and 13 rebounds vs. Golden State Prep (March 3, 2019) and 22 points vs. Elite Prep (Nov. 8, 2018) … Father, Rodney, played college basketball at San Diego State (1987, '88) … Also has three older sisters with college basketball experience: Ashley, at Evansville (2015, '16, '17), Taylor, at Wiley (Texas) (2017, '18), and Bailey, currently at Newman (Kan.).
