In a tough break for Jerome Tang and the Kansas State Wildcats, star forward Coleman Hawkins is unlikely to play in Sunday’s matchup vs. Colorado.
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 look to Kentucky transfer Ugonna Onyenso and JUCO commit Mobi Ikegwuruka to make up for Hawkins’ minutes. The pair had been used sparingly prior to Hawkins’ injury, stepping on the court as defensive presences off the bench. In the last three contests, Onyenso has seen the court 18.6 minutes per game, followed by Ikegwuruka at 12.3.
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. On the road in Orlando against UCF, Jerome Tang elected to roll Ugonna Onyenso into the starting lineup in place of Jones.
The Wildcats enter the game against Colorado on a four-game losing streak as 6.5-point favorites. Sunday’s game tips off at 3:00 p.m. central in Manhattan, Kansas.
