Recruiting mailbag: Are in-state schools pursuing Iowa native Ryan Hawkins?

Hi, everyone. Welcome, once again, to the recruiting mailbag.

We're going to start this week with a shoutout to the DMACC men's basketball program. The Bears won the NJCAA Division II national championship last Saturday. They were the No. 2 seed, and they beat No. 1 seed Davidson-Davie Community College 86-75 to claim their first-ever men's basketball national title.

This was head coach Brett Putz's first year in charge. Before DMACC, the Forest City, Iowa, native had assistant coaching stops at St. Cloud State (his alma mater), Wayne State, Highland Community College and Chicago State, as well as two years as Omaha's director of basketball operations.

DMACC went 21-5 this year and won its second straight Iowa Community College Athletic Association regular-season title, and it was ranked No. 1 in the country several times during the season.

I highlighted some of DMACC's Division I-level players in a story from a few weeks ago, and they all stepped up during the NJCAA tournament. Point guard Willie Guy (signed with North Dakota State) was named the tournament's most valuable player. Guard Zach Hobbs (interest from Omaha, South Dakota, Western Illinois, NJIT, Idaho, Missouri-Kansas City), center Ryan Schmitt (interest from Omaha, Cornell, Holy Cross, South Dakota, Idaho) and guard Christian Haffner (interest from Idaho) also made the all-tournament team.

The team that DMACC beat in the Final Four? Estherville's Iowa Lakes Community College, which beat Garrett College in the consolation final to take third place.

So that's two Iowa programs in the top three of NJCAA Division II basketball. Not bad.

Now, on to this week's questions, which focus on whether Iowa and Iowa State are recruiting a Division II mega-transfer who happens to be an Iowa native, if Drake plans to use its final 2021 scholarship and the latest on Omaha Biliew.

Are Iowa or Iowa State recruiting Northwest Missouri State transfer Ryan Hawkins?

The list of schools recruiting Northwest Missouri State transfer Ryan Hawkins, an Iowa native who dominated as a multisport athlete at Atlantic, is long.

Iowa and Iowa State, however, are not currently involved.

The Cyclones are looking for more of a straight-up wing with their final 2021 scholarship.

I've heard different things regarding if Iowa ever reached out at some point to Hawkins, but I'm told they're not one of the schools pursuing him right now. With the news that Jordan Bohannon is returning for a sixth season as more of a shooting guard to help fill the hole left by CJ Fredrick's departure, and with the Hawkeyes recently landing North Dakota forward transfer Filip Rebraca, they appear to be set with their 2021-22 roster — especially at Hawkins' stretch forward position, with Rebraca, Keegan Murray and Patrick McCaffery all getting minutes there.

But don't worry, Atlantic Trojans fans. Hawkins still has plenty of options.

One very notable option is Kansas. Head coach Bill Self called Hawkins on Tuesday, Hawkins' trainer, John Lamb, told me. The Jayhawks have already dipped into the Division II pool with Missouri Southern State center Cam Martin. Now, they're going after Hawkins, who was Martin's opponent in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Hawkins was arguably the best player in Division II last year. The 6-7 stretch forward averaged 22.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 54% overall and 46% (87-for-189) from 3-point range, and he led NW Missouri State to a 28-2 record and the program's third national championship in his four years there. In this year's title game, Hawkins logged 31 points and 18 rebounds in the 80-54 win over West Texas A&M University.

Creighton is another school thought to be a major player. Hawkins is an Iowa native, but he grew up just an hour from the Omaha school — closer than the two hours to Iowa State or three hours to Iowa.

Other potential high-major destinations to watch: Illinois, Minnesota, Georgia, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

I also think Colorado State is a wild card worth keeping an eye on. I'm told there is mutual interest between Hawkins and the Rams, and it makes sense why. Colorado State assistant coach Ali Farokhmanesh is an Iowa City West graduate and Northern Iowa legend who has a great reputation in his home state. All Rams head coach Niko Medved needs to do is point to the prolific success of current power forward David Roddy in his system and say, "Hey, this can work for you, too." Colorado State is also a trendy pick to win the Mountain West next year and be one of the country's top mid-major programs; the team is already appearing in way-too-early preseason top 25s.

A mid-major could perhaps be a place where more playing time — a starting, featured role — is readily available for Hawkins, if that's a factor that matters to him.

A 2016 graduate of Atlantic, Hawkins played five sports in high school: basketball, track and field, soccer, baseball and cross country. And he starred in all five. He is an athletic unicorn.

He originally signed with Wayne State, but a coaching change there led him to switch his commitment to Northwest Missouri State. 

Does Drake plan to use its final 2021 scholarship?

As of this week, Drake isn't actively recruiting anyone for its final 2021 scholarship. With the addition last week of Omaha graduate transfer point guard Ayo Akinwole and his 46.5% 3-point stroke, the Bulldogs' staff is happy with the 2021-22 roster as it stands.

They wouldn't be doing their jobs, however, if they didn't keep their eyes open in case an obvious must-have emerged as a realistic option. Like Hawkins, for instance. If Hawkins called Darian DeVries right now and said, "I want to be a Bulldog," I'd be willing to bet DeVries would grant that wish.

Drake entered this offseason without a clear need. Then Joseph Yesufu transferred to Kansas, leaving a score-happy point guard hole on the roster.

Akinwole fills that hole.

That leaves DeVries with a projected starting lineup of Roman Penn, D.J. Wilkins, Tremell Murphy, ShanQuan Hemphill and Darnell Brodie, with Akinwole, Garrett Sturtz, Tucker DeVries, Issa Samake, Jonah Jackson and Nate Ferguson as his likely first guys off the bench. That's a group that can win the Missouri Valley Conference.

Does Omaha Biliew have a visit to Iowa scheduled?

Waukee five-star wing Omaha Biliew does not have an Iowa visit currently scheduled.

I caught up with the 6-8 sophomore's trainer, Tyler Sass, this week. Sass said they have one unofficial visit scheduled to Nebraska on June 6. They're also in the process of planning multiple other June visits for Biliew. Two schools that will receive visits? Illinois and Kentucky, Sass said, with the Wildcats visit taking place in late June.

Of note: Nebraska also has an offer out to West Des Moines Valley 2022 power forward Ruot Bijiek, who is close with Biliew.

Also of note: Iowa State has officially reached out to the Biliew camp. Sass told me the Cyclones called former Waukee head coach Justin Ohl on Tuesday.

Biliew has looked every bit like a five star, top-five nationally ranked prospect so far this AAU season with MOKAN Elite's 16U team. His team went 4-0 last weekend at The Circuit League, beating two Nike EYBL teams, including Drive Nation. In that game, Biliew won his head-to-head matchup with fellow five-star sophomore Ron Holland.

Translation: Biliew isn't just hype. He's backing everything up with elite performances.

Matthew Bain covers recruiting and pretty much anything else under the sports sun for the Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Network.  Contact him at mbain@dmreg.com and follow him on Twitter @MatthewBain_.