For the second time in a month, Howard University has lost one of the stars of its basketball program to the transfer portal.
Sophomore point guard Elijah Hawkins announced his intention to transfer on Monday night.
“First, I want to thank God for blessing me with the talent and ability to play the sport I love.
Next, I want to thank Howard University for giving me the chance to grow as a student-athlete, and be part of a history making team over the last 2 years.
I especially want to thank Coach Kenny Blakeney and his staff for giving me a chance, and pushing me to be the best player I can be. lam grateful and blessed by the love and support l’ve received from the entire HU Community.
With that being said, I have decided to enter the transfer portal.”
A DC native, Elijah Hawkins played a big role in the Howard University turnaround over the past two seasons. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game as a freshman during the 2021-2022 campaign. He scored in double figures 22 times, including Howard’s final eight games of the season, as he was named the MEAC Rookie of the Year.
His sophomore numbers were similar for Howard as he averaged 12.9 points and six assists per game, but his shooting percentages went up to 44.1 percent from the field and a sizzling 46.6 percent from the 3-point line as Howard captured the MEAC regular season title for the first time in over 35 years and the MEAC Tournament for the first time since 1991.
Hawkins will now hit the portal, joining Steve Settle III, Howard’s second-leading scorer. They will leave big holes for Kenny Blakeney to fill moving forward.