GROWING UP
Hawkins has become elite Big East scorer
UConn men’s basketball guard Jordan Hawkins crumpled to the court midway through the Huskies’ 89-67 victory over Providence Wednesday night, temporarily quieting the party at sold-out Gampel Pavilion.
“I stepped on somebody’s foot,” he said. “And I was in pain.”
Pivoting to pass to Donovan Clingan while on a fastbreak, Hawkins went down on the far left, near the sideline. He was checked on, helped up and ushered down a tunnel with 8:28 remaining.
And the building just about went silent.
When Hawkins returned to the bench with 7:53 left, and again when he re-entered the game with 7:20 to go, the crowd gave him an ovation. More appreciation was shown when he checked out for good with 1:44 left on the clock. Fans chanted his name. Hawkins noticed none of this. “What was the reaction?” he said during a post-game press conference. “Locked in. My bad.”
He added, “I love being here. I love playing for this team. I love playing for this state.”
Hawkins has played himself into the heart of something intriguing, emerging as one of the Big East’s elite scorers as UConn continues to round into promising postseason form. He had 20 points Wednesday, the leading scorer in one of the Huskies’ best performances of the season, making 7 of 14 shots and 3 of 9 3-pointers.
Hawkins now has 20 or more points in three of the past four games, and in six of the past eight. He is averaging 19.9 points over the past 10 games. His 16.5 average for the season is tied for third in the conference with DePaul’s Umoja Gibson, just behind teammate Adama Sanogo and Providence’s Bryce Hop
kins (both averaging 16.8).
And more so than during any stretch of his UConn career, Hawkins is moving within the UConn offense with the look of someone who knows he is the best scorer on the court.
There are subtle differences in his game. The way he’s finishing on the move, like the streaking baseline dunk against Seton Hall and the nifty left-handed finish on a drive against Providence, represents a step forward. He’s always been a quickrelease, high-volume 3-point shooter, but he’s earning better looks and taking better shots with the separation he gains while either on the move or while in the air. He is noticeably stronger than at any point since he arrived.
“He’s grown up during the course of the year, just through some great successes and some not so good games on the road,” coach Dan Hurley said. “I think it just toughens a man up and you just gain that invaluable experience. The team has done a better job of screening for him and locating him in transition. I think he knows that. He’s gotten better at using screens. And the kid is mentally tough. He’s not scared. He believes in himself.”
The slow maturation process is difficult to notice in the day to day but, obviously, most players leave college as much different players and people than when they arrived. A step back reveals a different Hawkins, who as a freshman had trouble even fitting into the offense and had bad luck with injuries.
It’s no coincidence that UConn is peaking again as its appointed perimeter scorer has really hit his stride. Hawkins came to UConn with gifts Hurley raved about from day one. He was a bit raw, though, sometimes exposed and overwhelmed. Even this year, there have ups and downs for the player as much as the team, which started 14-0, lost six of eight and has now won five of six. The Huskies are 21-7, 10-7 in the Big East.
“You could get put in a blender in his league if you catch the wrong schedule, and I don’t think the league necessarily did us any favors,” Hurley said. “You get the home game vs. Villanova post-Christmas, which you know will be a tough game. Then you go at Xavier, at Providence, Creighton at home and at Marquette. That put us in a little bit of a blender. Then you throw in the clunker against St. John’s. I obviously missed the Seton Hall game [due to COVID-19]. I mean, things can start to unravel kind of quickly if you’re going into these top-five teams on the road, man.”
Hawkins is making it easier. As a sophomore, he has become an indispensable player in the UConn offense, blossoming at a time when many college players do. Though he had little to say Wednesday night, offering little more than praise for his teammates when asked about his own development, Hawkins has been more comfortable and charismatic off the court. He is asked to meet the media as much as any player.
On the court, Hawkins runs around in ways not dissimilar from Richard Hamilton. He doesn’t match Hamilton, who averaged 21.5 points as a sophomore, in production or potential at this point. But he does run relentlessly without the ball like Rip did, and knows better with each passing month what to do when he gets it.
On Wednesday, Hawkins was guarded, primarily, by Providence’s Devin Carter.
“He’s a brutal guy to deal with,” Hurley said. “I just told Jordan, in huddles, that eventually he’s going to make some mistakes or he’s going to wear down a little bit. He’s not going to be able to chase you at this rate for the 34 court minutes. Then also, set some screens to get one of their lesser defenders on you, where you can have some success. Try to get him off you by creating a switch. [Hawkins] was able to take advantage and get some points off other guys. But Carter is as good a perimeter defender as there is in the country.”
Saturday’s game at St. John’s will be Hawkins’ 27th of the season, matching his appearances in 2021-22. And he is about to have more made field goals as a sophomore as he had attempts as a freshman. Hawkins is 132for-315 from the field (40.9 percent). Last season, he was 49for-139 (33.3 percent).
He entered this season with a new level of opportunity, of course, with the departures of R.J. Cole and Tyrese Martin, and he’s averaging 29.6 minutes to the 14.7 he averaged last year. He’s also shooting 39 percent on 3-pointers (up from 33.3) and 87.3 percent on free throws (up from 82.1).
“Just working on my game,” Hawkins said. “Finding shots, finding my shots that work for me, playing inside and out, getting to the free throw line.”
UConn has three regular season games remaining — at St. John’s, vs. DePaul in Hartford and at Villanova March 4.
“That schedule, I think, caught us,” Hurley said. “It’s hard to have the clean sheet in the non-conference and then do the clean sheet in conference play. I do think we’ve got a chance down the stretch here to create that momentum into March, into these tournaments, and be a tough out for anybody.”