OVERLAND PARK, Kan.  – Creighton men’s basketball forward Ryan Hawkins is one of 30 NCAA men’s basketball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court that were selected as candidates today for the 2021-22 Senior CLASS Award^® in collegiate basketball. Hawkins is the only player from the BIG EAST Conference on the list.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ^®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. The men’s and women’s candidates will be narrowed to two fields of 10 finalists later in the season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will then select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C’s of community, classroom, character and competition.

Hawkins leads Creighton with 13.3 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game and 19 three-pointers made. The Atlantic, Iowa, product has scored in double-figures seven times this winter and became the first Bluejay in nearly 40 seasons to open a campaign with three straight games of 10 or more rebounds. Add in his stats at Division II Northwest Missouri State and Hawkins owns 2,218 career points, 1,005 career rebounds, 304 career three-pointers and 233 career steals. Among the nation’s active Division I players, he ranks in the top 10 in field goals made (1st), rebounds (2nd), points (3rd), games played (4th), double-doubles (6th), three-point field goals (9th) and steals (10th).

Hawkins is the ninth Creighton Men’s Basketball student-athlete to make the Senior CLASS cut since the inception of the award in 2000-01, joining Kyle Korver (2002-03), Anthony Tolliver (2006-07), Dane Watts (2007-08), Josh Dotzler (2008-09), Kenny Lawson Jr. (2010-11), Doug McDermott (2013-14), Maurice Watson Jr. (2016-17) and Marcus Foster (2017-18). Former Creighton men’s soccer goalkeeper Brian Holt won the 2011 Senior CLASS Award on the pitch, while McDermott won the 2014 Senior CLASS Award on the hardwood.

The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2022 NCAA Men’s Final Four^® and NCAA Women’s Final Four^® this spring. For more information on each of the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.