Kansas State’s Coleman Hawkins drops 3-word reaction as Iowa star enters transfer portal days after Fran McCaffery firing

After longtime coach Fran McCaffery was let go, Iowa basketball forward Owen Freeman has decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal ahead of next season. This has led to many reactions, including one from Kansas State star Coleman Hawkins.

Freeman announced his intention via an Instagram post, stating that the major reason for his departure was due to the changes at the helm.

“I am forever grateful for my two years in Iowa City. Being able to play in the black and gold has been nothing but amazing. Iowa City will always hold a place in my heart,” Freeman wrote in his post.

“With that being said, and with the recent coaching change, my family and I have decided it would be in my best interests to enter the transfer portal”, he added.

The post received many reactions and one of them was from Kansas State star Hawkins.

“Bros an Illini,” he wrote, linking the forward to the Fighting Illini.

Freeman spent two seasons with the Hawkeyes, playing 53 games and starting 44. However, he was hindered by a season-ending injury this year, playing just 19 games after having surgery on an injured finger.

He departs the Iowa team leading in points (16.7), rebounds (6.7) and blocks (1.8) per game this season. He chose the program ahead of the likes of Michigan State, Ohio State, Butler, Marquette, Purdue, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana in 2023.

Freeman’s departure is one of the many predicted exoduses following the sacking of coach McCaffery.

Coleman Hawkins reveals the reason behind his drop this season

The Kansas State star admitted that he was under pressure to perform this season due to the backlash he received for his huge NIL deal, ultimately affecting his performance.

The forward was reportedly paid $2 million to play for the Wildcats, after leaving Illinois initially for the NBA Draft, before opting to return to college.

In an interview after Kansas State’s 70-56 loss to Baylor in the Big 12 tournament on Wednesday night, a tearful Hawkins admitted that the criticism for his NIL deal affected his play this season.

The Wildcats star revealed that he wanted to come in and impact the program, but the noise got to him, and he feels like he has let a lot of people down.