In a tough break for Jerome Tang and the Kansas State Wildcats, star forward Coleman Hawkins is unlikely to play in Wednesday’s matchup vs. UCF.
Hawkins suffered a knee injury vs. Utah during the Wildcats’ two-game road stretch, according to a report from the Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman,
In 2024-25, Hawkins has been an instrumental piece in the front court for Jerome Tang and company, averaging 10.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 39.8% shooting from the field. He was visibly off against the Utes in Salt Lake City and had been struggling for the past few games.
In his absence, Kansas State will likely look to Kentucky transfer Ugonna Onyenso and JUCO commit Mobi Ikegwuruka to make up for Hawkins’ minutes. Onyenso had been used sparingly in recent weeks but is coming off one of his better games against the Utes, where he posted five points, four blocks, and two rebounds in 17 minutes.
Ikegwuruka has been used primarily as a defensive piece off the bench but is seeing about 13 minutes per game in conference play. The team elected to start four guards against their loss to Arizona State, with junior guard CJ Jones earning the nod as the fifth starter alongside Dug McDaniel, Brendan Hausen, Max Jones, and David N’Guessan.
The Wildcats enter the game against UCF on a three-game losing streak as 4.5-point underdogs. Wednesday’s game tips off at 6:00 p.m. central in Orlando, Florida.
