Gophers' Ben Johnson raves about new guard Elijah Hawkins

The Gophers men's basketball team confirmed Tuesday that former Howard guard Elijah Hawkins has joined the program via the transfer portal. 

"Elijah is a mature young man, who has always been a winner," said Gophers head coach Ben Johnson. "He's a tough, gritty competitor that plays with an edge. Elijah has an alpha mentality and really loves to work on his craft. We're excited to add another playmaking guard with NCAA tournament experience to the roster."

Hawkins will fill the void at point guard after Ta'lon Cooper left via the transfer portal earlier this offseason and Taurus Samuel ran out of eligibility.

The 5-foot-11 guard averaged 12.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6 assists per game last year for a Howard squad that made the NCAA tournament last season.