Bradley’s Hawkins Heading to the Hall

Editor: The following is part of press release from bradleybraves.com.

One of the greatest players in Bradley and Missouri Valley Conference basketball history, Hersey Hawkins ’88 will now be regarded among the best in college basketball history. On Sunday at the 2020 Hall of Fame Classic, Hawkins was announced as a member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

Hawkins is among eight honorees that will be enshrined in November 2021 in Kansas City at the 2021 Hall of Fame induction celebration. The event is part of Kansas City’s Hall of Fame weekend, which also includes the annual Hall of Fame Tournament.

Joining Hawkins as members of the 2021 class are players Len Bias (Maryland), David Greenwood (UCLA), Jim Jackson (Ohio State), Antawn Jamison (North Carolina) and Paul Pierce (Kansas) in addition to coaches Rick Byrd and Tom Penders.

The consensus National Player of the Year and first-team All-American during the 1987-88 season, Hawkins finished his career ranked fourth in NCAA history and now places 10th with 3,008 career points – the most in the Bradley and Missouri Valley Conference record book.

A two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, Hawkins led the nation with 1,125 points and 36.3 points per game during his senior season in 1987-88, while placing fifth in the country during the 1986-87 campaign with 27.2 points per game. His 36.3 points as a senior remain the second-highest total by any player during the shot-clock era, while his 284 made free throws that season are 12th-best in NCAA history.

Hawkins led Bradley to two regular-season Missouri Valley Conference Championships during his career and the 1988 MVC Tournament title. He also helped the Braves advance to two NCAA Tournaments with the 1985-86 team reaching as high as No. 9 in the AP poll.

Hawkins was also a member of the inaugural class of the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 1997 – among other Valley legends Larry Bird, Henry Iba, Ed Macauley, Oscar Robertson, Donte Stallworth and Wes Unseld.

The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006 with the Class of 2021 being the Hall of Fame’s 16th induction ceremony. Hawkins is the first Brave to enter the Hall of Fame and is the first Missouri Valley Conference player to earn the honor since Xavier McDaniel in 2013.