What to know about 4-star SF Braydon Hawthorne ahead of his visit to Kentucky

Thanks to the transfer portal, Mark Pope is close to completing his 2025-26 roster. But with some roster spots still to toy with, he’s looking at all options. And his search process has led him back to the high school ranks.

Kentucky already has a pair of incoming freshmen, Bluegrass natives Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno, both considered four-star prospects and top 30 recruits in the country. Another high schooler has popped up on the Wildcats’ radar though: 6-foot-8 wing Braydon Hawthorne, a recent class of 2025 West Virginia decommit who will take an official visit to UK beginning on Wednesday.

“Braydon Hawthorne is a unique player. A definite late-bloomer, someone who is already producing on the national stage, but his best basketball is still clearly in front of him,” On3 national analyst Jamie Shaw said of Hawthorne. “Currently in the 6-foot-8, 6-foot-9 range, Hawthorne has true wing skills. He can put the ball on the floor in the half-court to self create an opportunity. Athletically, he still needs to add strength. While he is fluid in his movements, he has average pop. However, what he does have is length and instincts, which he uses to an advantage.”  

Here’s what you need to know about Hawthorne before he makes his way to Lexington.

Bio Blast: Braydon Hawthorne

A native of West Virginia, Hawthorne — who possesses a 7-foot-2 wingspan — has seen his recruitment go from hearing from mid-majors to drawing legitimate interest from Power 4 schools. He started his high school career at Woodrow Wilson (WV) before making the leap to prep school. Over the last two seasons, Hawthorne has suited up for well-known Huntington Prep (WV).

That move paid off. Hawthorne established himself as a national recruit, earning three-star status back in the fall. Holding offers from the likes of Ohio, Old Dominion, UMBC, Florida Gulf Coast, Pepperdine, and Mount St. Mary’s, he made a surprise announcement by committing to the home state Mountaineers in October. He became the first 2025 pledge for then-head coach Darian DeVries following a quick recruiting process with WVU.

But once DeVries made the jump to Indiana in March, Hawthorne requested a release from his commitment to West Virginia just three days later. Behind an impressive senior season at Huntington Prep, Hawthrone’s stock was already exploding. In particular, his shooting ability caught the attention of coaches and scouts.

On3 now ranks him as the 48th-best class of 2025 recruit in the country and a four-star prospect. Since his decommitment, the likes of Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Michigan, Indiana, Kansas State, Arizona State, Marquette, Virginia, Oklahoma State, Dayton, and the new staff at West Virginia have reached out.

But Kentucky is making a real push, having first contacted him in the spring through a Zoom call. Hawthorne met with the new coaches at WVU over the weekend and will arrive in Lexington on Wednesday. Official visits to Virginia Tech and Michigan are also in the works.

Hawthorne would likely be a development piece in 2025-26 if he were to land at a place like Kentucky, but there is plenty of potential in the late-bloomer.