Throughout this year, Zack Hawkinson has become one of the more sought after 2023 recruits in all of Illinois. After helping lead Sacred Heart Griffin High School to a state championship this season in March, he has followed that up with a strong grassroots season with Mid Pro Academy winning the NY2LA Association 17U championship.
While he received his first scholarship offer last fall from Illinois Springfield it wasn’t until recently when his recruitment has greatly increased. During the month of July, Missouri-St. Louis, Northern Michigan, and Northwood all extended an offer to him. Other programs to have shown interest include many at the division two level. Barry, Michigan Tech, North Georgia, Purdue Northwest, Trevecca Nazarene, and Wayne State, are some in the group.
When talking about the schools that have offered Hawkinson stated, “I think each school has something unique about itself. Whether it’s the location, size, or just the culture.” While he has yet to take a campus visit, he has a few planned in the near future to a few of the schools recruiting him.
Throughout the grassroots season with Mid Pro the 6’6” wing forward showed a variety of skills that will translate to the collegiate level. He has consistently defended at a high level with the ability to match up with multiple positions effectively. The athletic senior plays tough inside rebounding the ball and finishing but can also play out on the perimeter and knock down threes. Even while playing amongst a few division one recruits with Mid Pro including a pair of Iowa commits, Hawkinson was always able to make an impact and have his prescence felt on the floor making winning plays.