Sacramento-area products at Duke and Illinois see NBA draft stock rise in NCAA Tournament
Both have Sacramento-area roots and embrace the 916 area code as home. And they similarly have March Madness on their minds.
Coleman Hawkins is a versatile 6-foot-11 senior forward for the University of Illinois, the first player from the program in 17 years to compete in four NCAA Tournaments. He is a rare fourth-year player on the college landscape and he leads the No. 3-seeded Fighting Illini into the NCAA Sweet 16 on Thursday against No. 2 Iowa State in an East Regional semifinal in Boston.
Jared McCain is a 6-3 freshman combo guard for the Duke Blue Devils, a terrific shooter whose eight 3-pointers set school records in the team’s latest victory. That effort spurred the program to its 29th Sweet 16 berth on Friday against top-seeded Houston in a South Regional semifinal in Dallas.
Hawkins and McCain are known for the myriad of things they can do on the floor, and they have a feel for the game. They are NBA draft prospects.
Hawkins returned for his final season in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana that surround the campus to enjoy the NCAA life and to boost his draft profile. That profile shows a stretch five who can guard multiple positions, handle the ball and shoot it. He plays with poise and this season became the first Illinois player to record 900-plus points, 500-plus rebounds, 200-plus assists, 100-plus blocks and 100-plus steals.
Hawkins had to bail on social media earlier this season after fielding an avalanche of complaints from die-hard fans that he wasn’t doing enough, never mind that he’s a three-year starter who earned All-Big Ten honors this season.
McCain is a social media magnet with 2.5 million followers on TikTok. Blue Devil fans so far have offered little complaint. What’s to gripe about when the 20-year old averages 13.8 points,. 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists? Or that he became the first freshman to finish with at least 30 points and no turnovers in an NCAA Tournament game since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, doing so in the 93-55 rout of James Madison in a second-round game in Brooklyn.
Said Duke coach Jon Scheyer to the media after the game on the keys to victory: “It helps when you have a guy like Jared McCain. He broke the Duke record for threes in the NCAA Tournament. We’ve had some pretty good shooters here, so to break that ... .”
Said McCain: “It’s the best feeling in the world when you know the work that you put in showing up on the court, especially in a big game like this.”
Hawkins and McCain produced career highs in points within a week of each other in February, both hitting for 30 points in regular-season contests. McCain is a shooter, so scoring is his thing. Hawkins is a defensive stopper at heart, able to switch off to defend a number of positions, and shooting and scoring are added bonuses to his arsenal.
Hawkins intrigues pro scouts with his skill as a weak-side rim protector, a tireless defensive grinder and a man who loves to compete. Following a recent game, Hawkins told media in Champaign: “I pride myself for my versatility. I do whatever we need.”
Hawkins had 10 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals in an opening-round NCAA win over Morehead State. He went for 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and a team-best seven rebounds in an 89-63 second-round win over Duquesne to stamp the Fighting Illini’s first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2005. Hawkins has had 10 games in which he has made three or more 3-pointers.
Earlier this season, Illinois guard Ty Roberts said of Hawkins: “I keep saying it: He’s the best big man in college basketball. Just the way he defends. What other five man is doing that? He’s tremendous. He’s great in all aspects. He can shoot. He leads the team. He’s a great defender. He can switch one through five. He’s just great.”
From Antelope to Prolific Prep
Hawkins played his first two varsity seasons at Antelope High School in the Roseville Joint Union High School District before switching to Prolific Prep in Napa, a national prep powerhouse not affiliated with the California Interscholastic Federation. The basketball program has sent scores of players to the Division I ranks.
In a Sacramento Bee story in 2022, Hawkins explained his move to Prolific Prep and his desire to compete against top-tier talent: “It’s all worked out for me. There’s a lot of guys that go a different route or try something else and we don’t hear much about them.”
Hawkins has been mentored by his father, Rodney Hawkins, who played at San Diego State in the late 1980s, and he’s been inspired by older sisters Ashley, Taylor and Bailey, each of whom played NCAA basketball. He was eager to test his skills at Prolific Prep and held his own, averaging 15 points and eight rebounds as a senior for a 31-3 team that played a national schedule, but he has not been in a hurry to get out of college. That journey will arrive soon enough.
From Folsom to Centennial
McCain grew up in Sacramento. His older brother Jayce played for and graduated from regional basketball powerhouse Folsom High School, but Jared and his family sought a different route.
By the time Jared reached middle school, the McCain family had moved to Southern California to test more competitive basketball waters, from summer AAU programs to high school, in an effort to raise his profile, though Sacramento-area players have for years sent top players to the NCAA ranks.
At Centennial High in Corona, McCain was twice named the Gatorade State Player of the Year as he led championship teams. McCain has credited his father, Lance McCain, for steering him in the right direction.
Said Lance McCain in a Bee interview before Jared headed to Duke: “It was a conscious decision we made when we moved down here. We had just bought a brand new house in Folsom. We had no intention of leaving except we started looking at the basketball side of things. I just wanted to put him in a more competitive situation. Everything we did ended up working out perfectly.”
This story was originally published March 28, 2024, 5:00 AM.
