Yesterday we highlighted MoCo native Jordan Hawkins as UCONN prepared to play Gonzaga in an Elite Eight matchup. The young man led his team to a trouncing of Gonzaga, scoring 20 points and hitting six threes to take the #3 seed UCONN to the Final Four with an 82-54 win. Hawkins is a Montgomery County native who attended Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Germantown and Gaithersburg High School for his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to DeMatha. UCONN plays the winner of Miami/Texas on April 1st.
Hawkins was a top 50 recruit, who came to UConn following two years at powerhouse program DeMathaCatholic (Hyattsville, Md.) under Coach Mike Jones. He played AAU for Team Durant under Coach Angel Hernandez, and as a senior at DeMatha, averaged 19.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.9 blocks, while shooting .636 overall and .464 from three-point range to lead DeMatha to an 11-0 record and was named 2020-21 Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year. Hawkins was a two-time Washington Post All-Met Honorable Mention pick and averaged 20.2 points per game as a sophomore when he was at Gaithersburg High School (per UCONN).
Hawkins, who will turn 21 next month, is expected to be a mid to late first round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. His sharpshooting from beyond the arc (38%) and the free throw line (89%) have helped UCONN to a very successful season that has brought them to the Final Four. Featured photo courtesy of Jordan Hawkins’ Instagram.