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Carolina can’t afford Coleman Hawkins, period.
Unless Harrison Ingram pulls a surprise 360 before the May 29 NBA draft deadline and returns to UNC for another year, the Tar Heels may still be without the additional inside presence they need heading into the new season.
After losing a bunch of big men transfer prospects, Carolina is eyeing two players who are reportedly interested in spending the 2024-25 season in Chapel Hill. One is Vanderbilt’s 6-8 Ven Allen Lubin, who is a little bigger than Ingram but reportedly not as good of a shooter. Lubin just finished a visit to campus and could commit any day now. The other is 6-10 Coleman Hawkins from Illinois who like Ingram is both in the transfer portal and still eligible for the NBA draft.
Hawkins is in a bit of a pickle after saying he wants to go to the NBA but on a guaranteed contract, which is usually only given to first-round picks. On most mock draft boards, he is not listed in the first round. The 230-pounder who is the only player in Illini history to have more than 900 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 blocks and 100 steals in his career could be the possible missing piece for the Tar Heels.
He is leaving a return to college open but is apparently looking for the same kind of guarantee that a first-round NBA contract provides. His father, a former college player long before NIL came onto the scene, has advised him that his next move should be a “business decision.”
UNC players make some NIL money, usually after they are already in school. Carolina is not known to enter bidding wars for any recruits that might pay more money than a returning player gets, like All-American R.J. Davis. That would go against principles that Hubert Davis adopted from Dean Smith, whose enrolled roster was always his top priority.
Hawkins has backed off that somewhat by saying, “Even if I did go back to school . . . I would never share that information because it’s kind of selfish. . . . for your teammates knowing what you made. I wouldn’t have those conversations with my teammates and want anyone to know what I did make.”
So you can see why, no matter how much better the Tar Heels would be with Hawkins, that’s not the kind of business decision UNC makes. Hubert Davis counts on the exposure and success playing for one of the biggest college brands resulting in more NIL money and/or a better NBA contract down the road.
Perhaps NIL will be regulated one day, where every player gets the opportunity to earn money from his name, image and likeness and not be “paid to play.” As for now, that isn’t the world we live in.
Featured image via Associated Press/Nam Y. Huh
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
Big fan or Art Chansky for years and always appreciate his insights, but have to point out that pulling a surprise 360 would mean Ingram would continue in the direction he was previsously headed. I hope that Ingram will pull a 180 and go back to UNC.
UNC doesn’t need Colman Hawkins, we are fine. Stop trying to make it seem as if the Tarheels are going to fail if we don’t get this guy or that guy. I hate when you fools do that. Coach Davis knows what he is doing so we don’t need to keep reading all of your negative crap every day art chansky. So let Hawkins do whatever he’s going to do or go wherever he’s going to go. We will be absolutely fine without him or anyone else that has decided to play elsewhere.
When did Harrison Ingram enter the transfer portal as this story says? I know he entered his name in the draft but I don’t think he also entered the portal as Hawkins did.
The team we currently have is going to be very good. No need for players that are only coming for $$$. I’d rather have good kids committed to UNC than a team made up of professional “students”.
I am always proud to be a Carolina Alum (’75), but even more proud when Coach Davis does not enter into bidding wars over players. My sense is that paying tons of money to get a player is probably a player we don’t want, one that will not match the chemistry the team has been showing. We’ll be fine, always have been, always will be.
I’ve followed the Tar Heels since the 1950’s. Anybody else remember Jerry Vayda? I saw Coach Smith’s first victory in Woolen Gym, and my blood runs a deep Carolina Blue.
I keep up religiously, but in doing soI am beginning to feel that there is an odd hysteria within the media climate that pervades the coverage of Carolina basketball these days. These guys like Chansky (the ol’ Dookie) and several other recently arrived “instant experts” seem, on a daly basis, to create tension, melodrama and indeed confusion to make themselves seem relevant and as important as a tiny fish in a middle-sized pond can feel.
Carolina Basketball has long survived without their self-important ilk, and will continue to flourish despite their
vain, misguided and genuinely silly over-analysis.