Following his pledge this week, Braydon Hawthorne signed a contract with the Kentucky Wildcats, Mark Pope said Thursday.
He is one of the Wildcats’ first-year players for 2025–2026, along with Jasper Johnson, Malachi Moreno, and Andrija Jelavić.
Regarding the most recent addition, Pope remarked, “Braydon Hawthorne probably has the steepest trajectory of anybody in the class of 2025.” “He is really talented, a 4.0 student, and an excellent learner. He truly wants to be at Kentucky, and his ceiling is amazing. I adore that he is eager to improve every day and that he wants to come and compete.
Hawthorne, a 6-foot-8 wing from Beckley, West Virginia, is the class of 2025’s fastest-rising recruit and a four-star talent by most. Right now, On3 has him ranked No. 9 in his position and No. 35 overall.
As a senior, Hawthorne averaged 23.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game while playing for Huntington Prep, a basketball powerhouse. According to all major recruiting sources, he is the top recruit in West Virginia.
A McDonald’s All-American nominee, a member of the Wootten Top 150, the MVP of the Dr. Pepper Classic, a standout at the Paul Bincardi Camp, a Grind Session All-Star, and a Big Shots Prep Nationals High School All-Star, the 6-8 prospect chose Kentucky over Duke, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia.
He is now a Wildcat, joining a Lexington squad that is vying for a championship in 2025–2026.
Braydon, welcome back home.
