EXINGTON, KY On Thursday, it was revealed that Braydon Hawthorne, the top-ranked high school athlete still in the class of 2025, has formally committed to the University of Kentucky.
According to head coach Mark Pope, 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 regarded as a four-star recruit by most and is among the class of 2025’s fastest-rising prospects. Hawthrone moved up 38 positions from his February ranking of No. 71 to No. 33 overall in 247Sports’ final class of 2025 rankings earlier this month.
During his final year of high school, he averaged 23.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game while playing for Huntington Expression Prep, a basketball powerhouse. Hawthorne went to Woodrow Wilson High School before Huntington. All of the major recruiting organisations rank him as the top talent in West Virginia.
Hawthorne received numerous honours, including being named a McDonald’s All-American, a member of the Wootten Top 150, the Dr. Pepper Classic’s most valuable player, a standout at the Paul Bincardi Camp, a Grind Session All-Star, and a Big Shots Prep Nationals High School All-Star.
Hawthorne joins Andrija Jelavić, Jasper Johnson, and Malachi Moreno as the fourth first-year player on the UK roster for the next campaign. West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Duke, and Pittsburgh were among the other contenders in his recruiting.
Hawthorne, Braydon
Role: SF
Metrics: 175 pounds, 6–8 Huntington Expression Prep School
Hometown: WV’s Beckley.
No. 33 overall | Four-star prospect | No. 10 at San Francisco, according to 247Sports
No. 81 overall in the ESPN rankings | Four-star recruit | No. 23 at San Francisco
On three rankings: No. 16 at San Francisco | Four-star prospect | No. 63 overall
