Three takeaways as Kansas State Wildcats beat Longwood, finish 3rd at Paradise Jam

Kansas State’s trip to the Virgin Islands ended on a positive note when the Wildcats defeated Longwood 80-64 in the third-place game of the Paradise Jam on Monday inside UVI Sports & Fitness Center in St. Thomas.

K-State pulled away from the Lancers thanks to an impressive performance from senior forward Coleman Hawkins, who finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, and some hot shooting from 3-point range.

This was arguably the best the Wildcats (5-2) have looked all season. They trailed 25-22 late in the first half but dominated the rest of the way.

“This was a big win,” K-State coach Jerome Tang said in his postgame interview on ESPN+. “I saw my team grow up.”

The Wildcats will next be in action against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday at Bramlage Coliseum.

Until then, here are some takeaways from Monday’s action:

This was a breakout game for Coleman Hawkins

K-State basketball fans have been waiting to see a big game from Coleman Hawkins.

They finally got one on the last day of the Paradise Jam.

Hawkins, a 6-foot-10 senior forward who began his college basketball career at Illinois, played by far his best game in a purple uniform as he drained five shots from 3-point range and finished with 19 points.

That is an excellent sign for K-State’s $2 million basketball player.

“It felt good to finally play like myself,” Hawkins said on ESPN+. “I feel like I have been overthinking a lot of things this season. I played like myself today and like the player I was last season. I apologize to our fan base. I was overthinking things and just didn’t know what to do on the court. I am starting to figure things out now.”

Hawkins did not look like much a scorer when he began the year with several lackluster performances inside Bramlage Coliseum. But he busted out of his slump over the past few days in the Virgin Islands. He gained confidence with nine points and nine rebounds against George Washington. Then he had 11 points and five rebounds against Liberty. That led to his impressive stat line against Longwood, which also included 10 rebounds and five assists.

He looks like a different player when he is confident. Hawkins was able to drain a few outside shots from NBA 3-point range on Monday and that helped him play better in every area.

Last week, Hawkins urged fans to be patient despite his slow start with the Wildcats. Better days were, indeed, ahead.

The Wildcats have a much higher ceiling when he plays like he did against Longwood.

Macaleab Rich is a bully around the basket

Tang may need to find more opportunities to get Macaleab Rich on the court.

The sophomore wing hasn’t played all that much this season, but good things seem to happen whenever he sees playing time. That is especially the case when he is around the basket.

Rich scored at will whenever he got the ball near the rim against the Lancers. He scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting and ended his day with a gnarly dunk that will immediately jump to the top of his highlight reel.

K-State only used Rich for 17 minutes on Monday. He is still trying to mature as a player away from the basket. But it’s hard to stop him in the paint.

K-State is fun to watch when it makes outside shots

The Wildcats still have a long way to go before they are finished product, but they can take a shortcut there by making shots from 3-point range.

K-State covered up all of its weaknesses in this game by making 11 of 20 shots from the outside.

The team was so hot from downtown that it made 9 of its first 13 outside shots. Few teams are going to compete with the Wildcats when they are shooting 69.2% from 3.

Brendan Hausen made 3 of 4 shots from beyond the arc and Hawkins connected on 5 of 7. They both got hot.

It will be hard for K-State to rely on that kind of shooting all the time, but is encouraging to know this team is capable of having that kind of success.