Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Meet the Newcomers: Tiajaney Hawkins
07/22/2015 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
By Tony McDaniel
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - SIU added depth and versatility to its roster with one of the team's new signings.
5-foot-10-inch Tiajaney Hawkins, or Nae for short, offers SIU a player who can swing back-and-forth from the guard and forward positions, and she can do it very well. Hawkins is the highest-rated recruit from Cindy Stein's 2015 recruiting class. ESPN named her a three-star recruit and ranked her the 22nd best prep guard for the 2015 class.
Hawkins averaged a double-double during her senior season with 18 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game for the East Chicago Central High School Lady Cardinals. Her rebound total was second highest in the state of Indiana. Hawkins' high school performances earned her three All-State selections as well as an Indiana All-Star selection.
"I saw Nae run up and down the floor once and knew she was someone that we needed to have on our team," Stein said.
Despite Hawkins numerous successes on the floor, the freshman has remained humble. Hawkins didn't begin playing basketball until the sixth grade. She didn't join an AAU team until her sophomore season of high school.
"My skill level surprised me," Hawkins said. "I never knew I was going to get this far or if basketball was what I was going to do."
Once Hawkins began playing AAU, she began to get noticed by universities. By her junior season, Hawkins realized she had the skill set to be a dominant player.
Illinois State and Eastern Washington offered Hawkins spots on their teams, but Hawkins chose SIU because it felt like a place she could call home.
"The girls were very genuine to me," she said, " When I went to other visits or other unofficial visits, it wasn't the same. I just felt like I had a connection with the team."
Even with all of Hawkins high school accolades, she said she is in for an adjustment at SIU. No longer will Hawkins be the biggest or strongest player on the floor, but she can help the team in other ways. Her passing skills and ability to get the open shot will be useful to the Salukis.
Hawkins wants to become a better outside shooter to compliment her ability to score in the low post. She also wants to improve her ability to handle the ball to make her a bigger threat around the arc. She will have the resources around her to improve upon those skills at SIU. With players like Azia Washington, Rishonda Napier, and Cartaesha Macklin to mentor Hawkins, she can work to improve her game until it is her time to step into a leadership role.
Through hard work, Hawkins could earn early playing time at SIU. She is unsure what type of player she will be in her years in Carbondale. She just knows that big things ahead of her as a Saluki.
