In an open letter to Kentucky Wildcats basketball fans on SEC Country, as told to columnist Kyle Tucker, soon-to-be-graduated guard Dominique Hawkins reflected on an incredible journey from lightly recruited high school star to one of the most important seniors on this year's squad that reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.

It's an enticing read, with an enticing backstory. Four years ago, with the Wildcats bounced quickly from the NIT, head coach John Calipari came to watch Hawkins carry Madison Central (Ky.) High to a state championship at Rupp Arena, and offered a scholarship soon after. It was a dream come true for Hawkins, who grew up idolizing Cats legends like Tayshaun Prince:

I can't tell you how many times when I was a kid my mom yelled for me to quiet down upstairs, where I was pretending to be Tayshaun Prince - I even shot left-handed - hitting the game-winner for Kentucky on a Nerf hoop. It was a glow-in-the-dark rim, too, so my friends and I kept the games going deep into the night. Then, whenever I finally fell asleep, I literally dreamed of playing for the Wildcats. But by my senior year in high school, that dream felt like it was slipping away.

For Hawkins -- who grew up in Richmond, Ky., roughly 25 miles south of Lexington -- donning the Kentucky blue bears exceptional sentiment. He goes on to tell fans that hearing the roar of the Rupp Arena crowd made him want "to put it all on the line for you."

You are the reason I loved diving for loose balls and making the kind of hustle plays that help win games, because you're the smartest fans in the country and you go crazy for the little things. If it seemed like I never ran out of gas, it's because you were my fuel. There's not going to be anything like that going forward in my life. There is no arena or fan base that compares to Rupp and the BBN, and I'm going to miss it.

As for the future, Hawkins reveals in the letter that he plans to play professionally -- whether in the NBA, D-League or Europe -- upon graduation next month, saying, "I plan to play until I can't."

Hawkins averaged 4.7 points in 19.8 minutes this season for the Wildcats, and hit seven 3-pointers in four NCAA tournament games, as part of a combined 35-point effort. In four years, Hawkins was part of three Elite Eight teams, two of which reached the Final Four, including the national final against UConn in 2014.

-- Brendan C. Hall