Illinois' Coleman Hawkins enters transfer portal amid draft prep

Illinois big Coleman Hawkins entered the transfer portal Tuesday while preparing for the upcoming NBA draft.

The 6-foot-10 Hawkins could still choose to withdraw from the draft and use his fifth and final year of NCAA eligibility. Players have until Wednesday to enter the portal.

"My intention is 100% to stay in the draft and I am fully focused on that process," Hawkins wrote on social media Tuesday. "I wanted to make sure I take every opportunity to protect myself in case of injury or any other unforeseen circumstances down the road.

"With the recent NCAA rule change regarding grad transfers, and the May 1 deadline approaching, entering the portal gives me the best chance to protect myself in those instances and maximize my opportunities as I go through the pre-draft process."

Hawkins scored a career-high 12.1 points per game while adding 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocks over 35 games (all starts) this past season. He shot a career-best 36.9 percent from 3-point range and was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention.

In 126 games (82 starts) for Illinois over four seasons, Hawkins has contributed 7.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

Also Tuesday, Illinois secured a transfer commitment from Evansville forward Ben Humrichous. In his first season of Division I basketball, Humrichous put up 14.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 41.4 percent from deep.