Cincinnati's Wes Miller Knows How Much Coleman Hawkins Means To Kansas State

Cincinnati coach Wes Miller previewed the Wednesday matchup against Kansas State.

He immediately drew attention to Wildcats star forward Coleman Hawkins, who may suit up against the Bearcats in the conference rematch.

"He's one of the most unique players in college basketball," Miller said. "It feels like he's seven feet in person. He's got tremendous positional size and length. He's an incredible passer and facilitator, and they do a lot of really interesting things to put him in passing or playmaking situations, whether it's the post or out on the floor. I think their whole team benefits from that. Then obviously, he pushes it out in transition. He can play tons of different positions, and he can guard tons of positions."

Hawkins is averaging 10.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 2.0 steals this season. Some have described his first season with K-State as underwhelming, but he remains one of the most multifaceted players in college basketball. Since his injury, Kansas State has gone 1-2, leaving Dug McDaniel and David N'Guessan to take command with him sidelined.

"They're different because he's an elite player, and they play through him a lot," Miller said. "So without him, they've been a little different. I'd imagine Jerome [Tang] would say the same thing. But we expect him to play, and we're gonna prepare for him to play."

Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.