Hawkins seeing interest expand after move to North Carolina
Joyful Hawkins moved up to No. 99 in the latest 2022 Rivals150 rankings, making him the No. 11 power forward in his class.
The four-star forward moved this season from South Georgia to Lake Norman Christian in Huntersville, N.C. With that move came a lot of notoriety, playing in events across the country. To this point in the season, Hawkins is averaging 10 points and 5 rebounds with 2 blocked shots per game, for his 12-3 team. The move has also come with some challenges for Hawkins.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s been kind of hard, because I miss home. But we want to win a championship this season.”
Even with the transition, Hawkins has multiple schools, who he says, are prioritizing him.
“I have offers from Texas Tech, Xavier, Georgia, Auburn, who are all in contact with me. Auburn and Xavier I talk with the most.”
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2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Top 30
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IN HIS OWN WORDS
Xavier: “They are talking good; I talk to them often. I want to take a visit there; I haven’t been able to. But we stay in contact.”
Auburn: “They are No. 1 on my recruiting list for me. It’s close to home. That is the biggest thing.”
MORE ON HIS RECRUITMENT
While they have not offered yet, there are other Power 5 schools that are staying in contact with Hawkins.
“Memphis and Ole Miss are showing me some interest. They haven’t offered yet.”
New Lake Norman Christian Head Coach Patrick McCarthy has been impressed with Hawkins and his play to this point.
“With his length and next level athleticism, Joyful is a major college prospect. Defensively he can be a problem for opponents as he has the ability to guard multiple positions. Offensively he can space the floor or attack with the dribble. He is creative at finishing at, or often times above, the rim.”
Hawkins models his game offer a future NBA Hall of Famer.
“I rebound, I can shoot the mid-range, I can attack off the face up. I want to play like KG (Kevin Garnett), I like KG.”
RIVALS REACTION
Hawkins is a lengthy and explosive player. He really excels in transition and can come out of nowhere, during the course of a game, for an eye-popping, display of athleticism. He uses his length and pop to get on the boards and has the measurables and quick-twitch to be a good team defender, in the passing lanes and around the rim. A lot of natural tools packaged together here.