Kentucky might still be adding to its upcoming roster. According to 247 Sports’ Travis Branham, Braydon Hawthorne, a top-35 prospect in the 2025 class, is set to announce his college decision Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET. Hawthorne’s options include Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Duke, Pitt, and West Virginia.
Hawthorne de-committed from West Virginia on March 21 following the departure of head coach Darian DeVries, who left for Indiana. Despite this, the highly regarded wing remains open to playing under West Virginia’s new coach Ross Hodge and his staff. He visited Kentucky on April 16, then Virginia Tech two days later, followed by stops with the new West Virginia coaching staff, Pitt, and finally Duke.
Though Hawthorne is unlikely to play a major role next season on a team with 13 roster members—including Otega Oweh, who is exploring the NBA Draft—he could be a valuable long-term developmental player. Hawthorne, who played high school ball at Huntington Prep in Virginia, was called the “biggest riser of the high school season” in his senior year by Branham.
A key factor in his recruitment could be his close relationship with a former West Virginia assistant coach now at Virginia Tech.
Will Hawthorne stay near home with West Virginia’s new staff, follow those ties to Virginia Tech, or take a different path to start his college career?
