Gophers find their point guard in Howard transfer Elijah Hawkins

The Golden Gophers added a much-needed point guard via the transfer portal on Monday as Elijah Hawkins announced his commitment to the University of Minnesota.

Hawkins will bring his 5-foot-11, 152-pound body into the rough and tumble Big Ten. He comes to Minnesota after leading Howard University to the NCAA tournament this past season, when he averaged 12.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6 assists per game. 

Hawkins had 12 points and 8 assists in Howard's loss to Kansas in the opening round of the NCAA tournament in March. 

The biggest stat that jumps off the statistics page that Hawkins shot 46.6% from 3 last season, making 54 of 116 attempts. That was a huge improvement from his freshman season when he shot 29.7% from 3. 

Minnesota was in desperate need of a point guard after Ta'lon Cooper entered the transfer portal and Taurus Samuels ran out of eligibility. Minnesota also lost Jamison Battle, Treyton Thompson and Jaden Henley to the transfer portal. 

Hawkins projects to be a potential starter and certainly a key player along with the likes of Pharrel Payne, Joshua Ola-Joseph, Braeden Carrington, Dawson Garcia, Kadyn Betts, incoming freshman Cam Christie and Parker Fox and Isaiah Ihnen, the latter two of whom returning from injuries that kept them out all of last season. 

Cooper was second in the Big Ten at 6.3 assists per game last season. That ranked seventh nationally, and Hawkins was right behind him at 11th with 6 per game.