Hawkins looks to take a leap

Hurley believes rising sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins is ready to take a big leap forward. Last year he averaged 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 14 minutes per game, earning Big East all-freshman honors.

“I think he’s a guy that is just going to take it to the next level,” Hurley said.” We are betting heavily on that. He looks like a guy that’s primed to do big things.”

Hawkins has also bulked up, adding 20 pounds to his freshman playing weight of 170.

“He looks great physically,” Hurley said. “He’s had a great summer. He has a great mentality. He knows the moment and the career where he is at. He looks great. He was coming up last year before the concussion. The natural progression for him is to become a starter and crush it.”