"I feel like I let a lot of people down": K-State Sr Coleman Hawkins left in tears as Baylor loss leads to first round exit in Big 12 Tournament

After getting knocked out of the Big 12 Tournament, Kansas State senior Coleman Hawkins broke down in tears as he took responsibility for the defeat. Hawkins scored just five points in the 70-56 loss to Baylor on Wednesday night.

Landon Reinhardt of KSNT 27 News spoke with the 6-foot-10 guard after the game and shared the emotional interview on X/Twitter.

"These guys haven't experienced some of the things I've experienced," Hawkins said through tears. "I really wanted to come in an impact the program. I'm sorry for crying, but this s**t hurts."

Coleman Hawkins, who arrived in Manhattan as a transfer from Illinois last summer, said that he doesn't regret his decision to join the Wildcats but feels he didn't live up to expectations this season.

"My heart just breaks for them," he continued. "Same thing for the fans. I feel like I let a lot of people down, and I feel like I did a poor job of letting people talk about me, and it affected my play."

Hawkins further explained that he wished he could go back and not listen to the outside chatter so that he could have helped the team more with his play. He averaged 10.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season for the struggling Wildcats.

---

Coleman Hawkins ends college career as K-State's March Madness hopes fade

Before heading into T-Mobile Center for the Big 12 Tournament, Jerome Tang's team had a slight chance of making the NCAA Tournament. A strong run in Kansas City could have boosted their resume enough to earn an at-large bid.

However, the No. 10 seed Wildcats fell flat in the second round after beating Arizona State in the opener, where Coleman Hawkins scored 26 points and had eight rebounds.

Following an exit sealed by a 14-point loss to No. 7 seed Baylor, Kansas State saw both its March Madness hopes and Hawkins' college career come to an end. He spent his first four seasons at Illinois before transferring to Kansas State for his final year of eligibility.

Coach Tang had a message to all the senior players including David N'Guessan and Coleman Hawkins, who played their final game in a K-State uniform.

"That one day we're going to look back on this season that we had and the ups and downs and everything that took place," Tang said postgame. "When it happens, I ask them to make sure they send me a text. I hope I'm alive."

Hawkins, who withdrew from the last year's NBA draft, will now turn his attention to the professional ranks.