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Cowboys scouted former Kentucky guard at a Lakers workout
The Dallas Cowboys are not afraid to turn over a lot of stones when it comes to scouting. That apparently includes attending an NBA workout to find a potential contributor.
According to this interesting story from the Louisville Courier-Journal, the Cowboys sent a representative to a workout run by the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers to take a look at former Kentucky guard Dominique Hawkins on Monday.
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Hawkins averaged 4.7 points in his senior year with the Wildcats last season, but he’s apparently considering all his options for a sporting career. The former prep hoops and football star chose basketball out of high school and played the past four years at Kentucky.
There’s little questioning the athleticism of the 6-foot, 190-pound Hawkins, who turned in a vertical leap of 44.5 inches and 16 reps of a 185-pound bench press at Kentucky’s preseason combine in October. He apparently is being scouted as a possible defensive back if he chooses the NFL route.
Could Hawkins have a future in professional basketball? Perhaps. After all, despite his modest statistics on a loaded Wildcats roster, he was named to the SEC’s All-Tournament team, scoring a career-high 14 points in the finals against Arkansas. Kentucky coach called Hawkins — who was a fan-favorite — “Old Reliable” for his defense and energy as a reserve for the team that made the Elite 8.
“Because he is a fierce competitor, he’s tough as nails,” Calipari said in February, via the Journal.
The Cowboys drafted former Baylor basketball standout Rico Gathers as a tight end last year in Round 6, and despite him spending the season on the team’s practice squad Gathers has had a nice offseason and is expected to be a contributor.
Could Hawkins be the next hoops-to-football convert? Stay tuned. It appears he wants to see if he has a chance at basketball first, but if not the Cowboys could offer him a decent Plan B.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
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