Braydon Hawthorne Commits To Kentucky Over West Virginia

Four-star recruit Braydon Hawthorne announced his commitment to Kentucky on Tuesday. Hawthorne initially signed with West Virginia last fall, but decommitted from the Mountaineers after Darian DeVries left for Indiana.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardik, after reopening his recruitment, Hawthorne visited Kentucky, Duke, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia under new coach Ross Hodge.

However, Kentucky coach Mark Pope made Hawthorne a top priority immediately after he came back on the market and continued his pursuit over the last couple of months.

Kentucky’s 14th piece to the puzzle that was added on May 20th did this to the best player in the country.

Braydon Hawthorne has some raw offensive tools that are incredibly intriguing at 6’8″.

Adding strength will be priority #1 in 2025-2026, but there is talent to work with. pic.twitter.com/zdrDXhcp3a

— Brandon Ramsey (@BRamseyKSR) May 21, 2025

“When I decommitted from West Virginia when there was a coaching change, Mark Pope was the first head coach to call. That meant a lot,” Hawthorne told ESPN. “[Assistant coach] Jason Hart’s been recruiting me for a long time and the entire staff has been wonderful.

“I have a great relationship with Coach Pope and the staff. We have had many conversations about basketball and life. I have been a lifelong Kentucky fan. This means everything to me.”

Braydon Hawthorne Becomes Third High School Commitment For Kentucky

The 6-foot-8, 175-pound small forward out of Huntington Prep (WV) was among the biggest standouts in the 2025 class this high school season, climbing from outside the Top 150.

Hawthorne has a 7-foot-3 wingspan and can stretch the floor, score off the dribble, and defend multiple positions. Although he’s currently underweight, his athleticism and scoring skills make him a potential NBA prospect.

In addition, Hawthorne becomes the third high school commitment for Kentucky. He joins four-star shooting guard Jasper Johnson (No. 25 nationally) and four-star center Malachi Moreno (No. 28 nationally).

Hawthorne is the No. 35 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, according to On3’s Top-150 Player Rankings. He’s also the No. 9 small forward prospect and the No. 1 player in West Virginia.

Meanwhile, Hawthorne is listed at No. 88 overall as the third ESPN 100 prospect in Kentucky’s 2025 class, joining Johnson (No. 18) and Moreno (No. 25). International prospect Andrija Jelavic is part of the Wildcats’ incoming class as well.