Four-Star Prospect Braydon Hawthorne Signs with Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Braydon Hawthorne, the highest-ranked high school player remaining in the class of 2025, has officially signed to the University of Kentucky, it was announced on Thursday.

“Braydon Hawthorne probably has the steepest trajectory of anybody in the class of 2025,” head coach Mark Pope said. “He is a great learner, a 4.0 student and highly skilled. His ceiling is incredible, and he really wants to be here at Kentucky. I love the fact that he wants to come and compete and that he’s dying to get better every single day.”

A 6-foot-8 wing from Beckley, West Virginia, Hawthorne is a consensus four-star prospect and one of the fastest risers in the class of 2025. 247Sports ranked Hawthrone as the No. 33 overall player in its final class of 2025 rankings earlier this month, up 38 spots from his No. 71 ranking in February. 

He played his senior high school season at basketball powerhouse Huntington Expression Prep, averaging 23.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Prior to Huntington, Hawthorne attended Woodrow Wilson High School. He is ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of West Virginia by all major recruiting services.

Among his many accolades, Hawthorne was a McDonald’s All-American nominee, a Wootten Top 150 participant, the most valuable player at 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.

Hawthorne becomes the fourth first-year player on UK’s roster for next season joining Andrija Jelavić Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno. Other finalists in his recruitment included Duke, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

Braydon Hawthorne

Position: SF

Measurables: 6-8, 175 pounds

School: Huntington Expression Prep

Hometown: Beckley, W. Va.

247Sports ranking: No. 33 overall | Four-star prospect | No. 10 at SF

ESPN ranking: No. 81 overall | Four-star prospect | No. 23 at SF

On 3 ranking: No. 63 overall | Four-star prospect | No. 16 at SF