From cornfields to Florence, Ryan Hawkins is ready for basketball in Europe

August 18th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

(Atlantic, Iowa) — When it comes to basketball careers, very few have had the success and adventure that Ryan Hawkins has experienced. The Atlantic native was a Division II All-American at Northwest Missouri State University, helping the Bearcats win three national championships. After transferring to Division I Creighton, Hawkins led the Blue Jays in scoring and rebounding. He was named second team All-Big East and helped Creighton to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they nearly knocked out eventual champion Kansas.

Hawkins finished his lone season at Creighton with 482 points, 272 rebounds, 53 assists, 32 steals, and 13 blocks. Hawkins finished his college basketball career with 2,580 points, 1,220 rebounds, 257 steals, 229 assists, and 82 blocks. He then signed with the Toronto Raptors and played on the G-League squad this past season. For most the dream of playing basketball would end there.

However, Hawkins recently signed a deal with AS Pistoia Basket 2000 and will play in the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) for 10 months.

Even with little knowledge of the Italian language. Hawkins knows that basketball itself is a universal dialect needing no translator.

The basketball in Europe is some of the most competitive in the world and Hawkins is excited to compete in the league.

The G-League was a positive experience for Hawkins, but he sees the potential in the team focused Euro League. He sees the opportunity to double down on his strengths as a player in Italy and wants to make the most out of his time there.

The future for Ryan Hawkins will definitely be focused on basketball. In what realm of the game specifically remains unknown, but he knows he will always be a part of the game.