UConn rolled Miami in the Final Four on Saturday night, defeating the Hurricanes in a wire-to-wire victory to earn a spot in the national championship game. The Huskies did so even though Jordan Hawkins, one of the team’s best players, was dealing with an illness.
After the game, Hawkins admitted that he believes he had food poisoning from a dinner earlier in the week while in Houston. The sophomore guard isn’t exactly sure what caused the illness, but he does have a hunch.
“I had a steak, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, [and] calamari. That’s why I think it had to be the calamari,” he said. “I love calamari too, I don’t think I’m ever eating it again.”
“Maybe it was the calamari. And I like calamari too.”@UConnMBB guard Jordan Hawkins describes what he ate that got him sick. #Final4 #MarchMadness #UConn #3ptcnvrsn pic.twitter.com/swHusuunOw
— The 3 Point Conversion (@3ptCnvrsn) April 2, 2023
Hawkins detailed his wild week in a postgame interview, going from dealing with the illness to scoring 13 points against Miami.
“It was pretty crazy, from sleeping on the bathroom floor to playing in a Final Four game,” he said. “I wasn’t gonna miss this for the world.”
From sleeping on the bathroom floor to playing in the Final Four... It was quite the last 36 hours for Jordan Hawkins! He joined @John_Fanta from the @UConnMBB locker room to break it down. pic.twitter.com/YwQr8bbe5n
— BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) April 2, 2023
Hawkins is one of UConn’s best players, having averaged the second-most points on the team (16.2) during the season. His average of 29.4 minutes per game is one of the larger workloads on the Huskies’ roster.
The Huskies’ depth allowed Hawkins to take it easy in the first half before he found his footing after halftime. He says there is no reason to be concerned about Monday’s game, when UConn will face San Diego State for the national title.
