NBA Comparison: Jordan Nwora/Brian Cook

Strengths: Experienced, rangy stretch four … His forte is his shooting ability … He does most of his damage on pick and pop opportunities and excels at breaking zones … A mature, team player … Excellent scoring and efficiency for an Elite Eight level team: 12.1 ppg, 45.1 fg%, 36.9 3p%, 79.2 ft% … Stretch four with some versatility to play both 4 and 3 in certain line ups … He’s also long enough with a 7 foot wingspan that he can shoot over close out defenders … Makes enough threes from the top of the key/wing area that you don’t question his spacing ability …  He’s an excellent screener …  Very good in the pick and pop game … Experience and readiness are selling points … Hawkins has displayed some great footwork in the low post area and is comfortable adapting to different angles mid-air … A great passer for his size … He’s not necessarily manipulating defenses to get his teammates good looks, but he has shown some capability of moving defenders with his dribble or with his eyes to find the open man … His most exciting quality as a passer is his ability to hit cutters with a pocket pass out of a post up or a size up … A quality off ball defender. … Rarely gets lost on cuts or screens, he communicates great and is always aware of what’s happening with the ball … That natural IQ is paired with long arms, solid strength and excellent hands … While he is slow in a straight line and will get blown by in an isolation setting, he has the length to recover and alter shots from behind … He also is excellent in the post and plays defense very low to the ground, so he’s hard to move …

Weaknesses: Older player. Born in December of 2001, he’s already 22 years of age, making his upside less intriguing … Not the most fluid of athletes, his hips appear to be somewhat tight, limiting his ability to make plays in space … Hawkins has a smooth jumper, but there’s a lot of dip and I’m not sure if it’s as feasible for the NBA game … These things can be taught, and he’s been reported as a very coachable kid, so those things could change. As an athlete he is solid enough to fit into an NBA offense but likely won’t be a focal point, Lacks great defensive speed, his lateral quickness will be exploited some on the perimeter … Overall, I think the most concerning point for him is his height and athleticism … He isn’t a freak athlete or lock down defender but he will be a great team defender. His biggest weakness is probably his speed … Despite looking the part and his excellent shooting numbers this season, his efficiency in his previous three seasons were not promising …

Notes: Measured 6′ 8.50” barefoot, 9′ 0.50” standing reach, 224.4 lbs and a 7′ 0.25” wingspan and a 26.5 inch standing vertical and a 32.5′ inch max vertical at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine … 2023-24 Stats: 13.3 ppg, 3.3 apg, 6.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 1.7 spg. Has played all four years at Illinois, continuously showing improvement over the four years. Announced after the elite 8 loss to UConn that he’d be focusing on the next level. Was All-BIG Ten third team this past season …

Brandon Koch 4/8/24