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Welcome to Good Morning, Illini Nation, your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini sportswriter and AP Top 25 pick Scott Richey. Each morning he shares insight on Brad Underwood’s team and college basketball in general:

We haven’t heard much from Coleman Hawkins since he moved from Illinois to Kansas State in the offseason. At least not publicly. The former Illini forward was, of course, active on social media.

Until a recent interview with Wildcat NIL’s Cats Talk, where Hawkins dove deep into his basketball life. A 41-minute conversation that talked a lot about his high school recruitment, four seasons at Illinois and his thoughts on Illini coach Brad Underwood.

The good part – at least for Illinois fans – starts after about 10 minutes.

Hawkins may not be finishing his college basketball career in Champaign, but four seasons in orange and blue have clearly made an impression.

“I fell in love with the coaching staff and the players they had on the roster,” Hawkins said. “They had great character, great characters. Everyone was super cool, super nice. The atmosphere around the fan base and on campus, there was just a certain excitement and vibe that I felt when I visited Illinois. I told my dad when I visited that I felt at home here and I felt comfortable. I stayed there for four years and it was great for me.”