Kansas

Kansas State Basketball Star Reveals Frustration on Leaked Details About Record NIL Deal

Published

1 year ago

March 22, 2025

Kansas State Basketball Star Reveals Frustration on Leaked Details About Record NIL Deal

Coleman Hawkins was one of the most heavily recruited guards in the transfer portal last season.

The 6-9 star was coming off a big season for the Illinois Fighting Illini, and he was looking for a new program for his final season. He landed with the Kansas State Wildcats and did so after he snagged name, image and likeness deals upwards of $2 million, according to published reports.

In fact, that dollar figure hit the internet minutes after Hawkins announced his commitment to the Wildcats.

Statistically, Hawkins’ season was frustrating. He averaged 10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.8 steals per game. He was injured near the end of the season and missed a few games. He did earn All-Big 12 Conference third-team honors.

When the season ended and Kansas State didn’t make the NCAA Tournament, their coach, Jerome Tang, opted the program out of any other postseason play. So, Hawkins’ college career is over and the NBA awaits.

But, on his way out the door, he had some words about NIL, specifically about the transparency of those contracts. He believes his NIL package’s value never should have been made public in an interview with the Field of 68 podcast.

“Whatever the number was never should have been public,” Hawkins said. “That’s not my fault. I won’t say whose fault it is, but when there is a tweet from (NBA insider) Shams (Charania) and people share your information, that is not cool.”

When the Wildcats were eliminated from the Big 12 Tournament, Hawkins broke down and cried in the locker room at T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City. Some of it was due to the finality of the season. Some of it was due to the pressure he felt, and the vitriol he received, from fans due to the price tag of his NIL deal.

He said he dealt with similar things at Illinois. But at Kansas State, he said, that attention went to “another level.”

NIL isn’t going away, nor are the pressures of signing a deal as Hawkins did. Assuming the House vs. NCAA settlement is formally approved, then revenue sharing will come to college athletics, giving players like Hawkins more opportunities to make money.

After that, any NIL deal over $600 would have to be vetted by a clearinghouse to ensure the player is receiving fair market value.

If you ask Hawkins, the details of those deals should be private moving forward.

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Kansas

Pedestrian killed on westbound I-44 at Kansas Expressway

Published

34 minutes ago

April 2, 2026

Press Room

Pedestrian killed on westbound I-44 at Kansas Expressway

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – MoDOT reopened the westbound lanes of I-44 in Springfield around 9 a.m. after a deadly pedestrian crash on Thursday.

Police say a pedestrian was hit and killed on I-44 near the Kansas Expressway exit around 5 a.m. Police have not identified the victim.

Emergency officials closed the interstate for about three hours. Crews exited traffic off the Kansas Expressway and the West Bypass.

To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.

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Bill Self returning to Kansas next season after retirement speculation

Published

13 hours ago

April 1, 2026

Press Room

Bill Self returning to Kansas next season after retirement speculation

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self is returning for a 24th season with the Jayhawks.

The program released a statement from Self on Wednesday confirming his return for another year with the program he has led to 21 regular-season conference championships, four Final Fours and a pair of national championships.

“With renewed clarity and the ongoing support from our administration, I remain focused and committed to Kansas Basketball competing for a national championship,” Self said. “I look forward to seeing and hearing the best fans in college basketball next season at Allen Fieldhouse.”

Jayhawks head coach Bill Self gestures during the first half of Kansas’ win over California Baptist in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Getty Images

The 63-year-old Self has a record of 840-272, not including the 15 wins that were vacated by the NCAA, putting him 12th on the career list.

He passed Phog Allen as the winningest coach at Kansas with a 77-69 win over Michigan State on November 12, 2024, and finished with a record of 633-167 while leading one of college basketball’s most storied programs.

Kansas’ season ended March 22 against St. John’s and fellow Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks rallied from a 13-point deficit with 7 1/2 minutes left, tying it with 13.1 seconds to go, only for the Red Storm’s Dylan Darling to hit a layup as time expired to end their season.

The Jayhawks have not survived the opening weekend of the tournament since 2022, when Self won his second national title.

“I’ve gone through some stuff off the court, so I’ll get back and get with family and visit and see what’s going on,” Self said following the loss in San Jose, California. “I love what I do. I need to be able to do it where I’m feeling good and healthy to do it fairly well. I’ll get back home and it will all be discussed.”

Self’s health has been a factor to monitor.

Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self talking to players during a timeout. — Kansas head coach Bill Self talks with players during a timeout against Cincinnati at Allen Fieldhouse. Denny Medley-Imagn Images

He was hospitalized just before the Big 12 Tournament in 2023 after feeling unwell, and had two stents inserted into his heart, which forced him to miss the NCAA tourney. Self had two more stents inserted last year, and this past January, he missed a game at Colorado after doctors advised him not to travel following a precautionary trip to the hospital.

“When you get to be doing it as long as I’ve done it, I looked at it in five-year increments. Now I’m probably looking at it in more two-year increments, so to speak,” he said. “So I try to focus on this season and try to get us to a second weekend — which we failed at — so I’ll go back now and break it down and see where that leads.”

Self won national titles at Kansas in 2008 and 2022. And he’s been especially good at Allen Fieldhouse, historically one of college basketball’s toughest venues. He is 27-6 against top-10 opponents at home, and his 131-81 record against Top 25 opposition is the third-best winning percentage among Division I coaches.

He also has sent 43 players to the NBA, and more could be on the way. Darryn Peterson is expected to be among the first three players to hear his name called in June, while Flory Bidunga and others could also be selected in the upcoming NBA draft.

Self was selected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

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Kansas

Minnesota Twins bested by Kansas City Royals 3-1

Published

3 days ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota Twins bested by Kansas City Royals 3-1

March 30, 2026 / 7:05 PM CDT
/ AP

The Minnesota Twins were defeated 3-1 by the Kansas City Royals, who used home runs by Kyle Isbel and Isaac Collins, two hitters not known for their power, on an unseasonably warm day in front of a sellout crowd of 39,320 in Kansas City’s home opener.

The temperature at first pitch on Monday was 85 degrees.

In the first game at Kauffman Stadium since the Royals moved in the fences 8 to 10 feet, all four runs scored on home runs. However, all three home runs also would have been out with the old dimensions.

Kris Bubic (1-0) picked up the win for Kansas City. He allowed one run on two hits in six innings. John Schreiber pitched the ninth for his first save.

Simeon Woods Richardson (0-1) took the loss for the Twins.

Both Woods Richardson and Bubic were effective, though neither was brilliant. Woods Richardson allowed just two runs but on five hits. Bubic walked three. Both starters allowed baserunners in all but one inning.

Bubic was the third straight Royals starter to pitch at least six innings with one or fewer runs allowed after Michael Wacha allowed no runs in 6 innings Saturday and Seth Lugo allowed no runs in 6 1/3 innings on Sunday.

Matt Wallner opened the scoring in the second inning for the Twins with a 424-foot home run that nearly reached the fountains in right-center.

The Royals answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning when Isbel’s homer landed in the Royals bullpen in right field. Isbel managed only four home runs in all of 2025.

Collins then extended the lead to 3-1 with a 400-foot blast into the Twins bullpen in the seventh. It was Collins’ first hit this season, having started the season 0-for-8.