Dominique Hawkins, a Kentucky kid who earned a scholarship at UK when he led his high school team to a state championship at Rupp Arena, was a feel-good story when he signed on to play for the Wildcats.
He was not, however, supposed to be in the story for playing time in first season at Kentucky.
The late spring 2013 signee didn’t have the McDonald’s All-American status that most of his freshman teammates brought with them when they arrived at UK last year, but it didn’t stop Hawkins from making just as big of an impact as some of them.
With Kentucky absent a lockdown on-ball defender, Hawkins took it upon himself to become that shutdown guy on defense, earning himself a vital role on the team, especially come postseason.