Jordan Hawkins entering NBA draft off UConn title win

UConn sophomore Jordan Hawkins will enter the 2023 NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility, he told Malika Andrews on ESPN's «NBA Today» on Friday.

«Hearing my name called on draft night will be a blessing,» Hawkins said. «I worked so hard for this, me and my dad, we've been through so much.

»When I first stepped on campus in Storrs, I was a little kid, just 160 pounds. I didn't know the college game. Coach [Dan] Hurley threw me into the fire. He guided me through it. It means the world for me having him, having this opportunity. He told me sophomore year, I need to step my game up, make a name for myself. It's amazing what we did together as a team."

Hawkins, the No. 15 prospect in ESPN's draft projections, was named first-team All-Big East after a breakout season in which he averaged 16.2 points in 29.4 minutes per game while shooting 38.8% from 3.

He helped catapult UConn to a national championship with a scintillating run through the NCAA tournament in which he made 21-for-42 3-pointers as the Huskies won all six games by double digits. Hawkins had 16 points in the championship game against San Diego State while playing through a stomach bug during the Final Four.

«I had the highest expectations for us as a team,» Hawkins said. «We had a great team coming back. Coach Hurley always says that the big-time players step up in March. I look at myself as a big-time player. I had to make that jump. My teammates did the same thing. We did a hell of a job on both ends. They were amazing.

»The last few days have been insane. We got back on campus, the whole school was waiting for us. I haven't had much time to sleep. It's been a crazy 36 hours. It still doesn't feel real."

Hawkins has an NBA-ready skill as one of