This Big 12 school landed basketball’s top available transfer portal player on a reported $2 million NIL deal
Coleman Hawkins becomes the headliner of an already impressive transfer class for Kansas State
Kansas State just landed its top transfer in an already loaded class, as former Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins announced Friday he is transferring to the Wildcats.
The 6-foot-8 Hawkins, who entered the NBA draft but withdrew before last month’s deadline, was the top available player in the basketball transfer portal.
While 247 Sports has him rated as the No. 21 available player in the transfer portal this offseason, ESPN (10th overall) and The Athletic (fifth) rated Hawkins even higher.
Hawkins is receiving an NIL deal worth $2 million to join the Wildcats program, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported.
A four-star transfer, Hawkins led an Illinois squad that advanced to the Elite Eight in 2023–24, averaging 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per contest.
For good reason, Kansas State has been active in the basketball transfer portal this offseason. The Wildcats only have one player returning from the 2023–24 campaign who averaged more than 10 minutes per game.
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The Wildcats are coming off a 19-15 season where they lost in the first round of the NIT. Following that, five players transferred out of the Kansas State program, forcing a sizable roster reset.
With Hawkins’ addition, Kansas State is adding eight transfers this offseason and it gives the Wildcats a full complement of 13 scholarship players — including a four-star incoming freshman, point guard David Castillo.
Another headliner in Kansas State’s transfer class is former Michigan point guard Dug McDaniel, who averaged Last season, he averaged 16.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game. According to 247 Sports, the four-star prospect is the No. 53 overall transfer.
Six four-star transfers have joined the Wildcats in total: shooting guard Brendan Hausen (Villanova), center Baye Fall (Arkansas), power forward Achor Achor (from Samford), and center Ugonna Onyenso (Kentucky).
With Hawkins, Kansas State moved up ten spots to No. 12 in the team transfer portal rankings of 247 Sports, making the Big 12 consist of three schools in the top 25, with West Virginia at No. 6 and Kansas at No. 3.
Texas Tech is ranked No. 20, Baylor is ranked No. 21, and Cincinnati is ranked No. 25 out of six Big 12 teams overall in the 247 Sports transfer site rankings.
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Mark Pope makes final addition to staff
The new Kentucky coach has hired his fifth and final assistant.
Pope has filled the fifth and final position on his staff by hiring Lamar assistant Mikhail McLean, CatsPause.com has learned. Former Wildcat and 1998 national champion Scott Padgett had also been in the mix for the position.
McLean, who has spent the past four seasons as an assistant at Lamar, joins a UK staff that also features associate Alvin Brooks III, head coach of Baylor; former USC assistant Jason Hart of the G League Ignite; former assistant Cody Fueger of BYU; and former head coach Mark Fox of Nevada and Georgia. As his director of basketball operations, Pope also hired Nick Robinson, a BYU assistant.
During his five seasons as a member of the Houston Cougars, McLean averaged 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game while playing under both James Dickey and Kelvin Sampson.
Then, four years ago, McLean was employed as an assistant at Lamar by Alvin Brooks, a former Houston assistant and father of UK assistant Alvin Brooks III.
Pope’s first nine-man transfer class is currently ranked No. 4 nationally by 247Sports and includes No. 23 Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State), No. 34 Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), No. 36 Jackson Robinson, No. 48 Lamont Butler (San Diego State), No. 71 Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), No. 88 Amari Williams (Drexel), No. 91 Koby Brea (Dayton), No. 126 Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia), and No. 319 Ansley Almonor (Fairleigh Dickinson). Following the loss of all 13 scholarship players from the previous season’s roster due to graduation, the NBA Draft, or the transfer portal, the team has added a new roster.
To bring the Wildcats’ total of scholarship players to twelve, Pope has added former BYU signee Colin Chandler, who recently completed a two-year Mormon mission; Kentucky Mr. Basketball, the state’s all-time leading scorer and four-star guard Travis Perry from state champion Lyon County; and Harlan County four-star and former South Carolina signee Trent Noah.
“Getting No. 9 is the only task we have. I keep seeing the No. 9 everywhere I look. I see only that,” Pope remarked. We’re going to chase that with everything we have since we’re kind of obsessed with it. Here, that is the norm.
