Mark Pope. Braydon Hawthorne. Kentucky Men’s Basketball Practice with TBT LaFamilia | Photo by Chet White. UK Athletics
Since arriving in Lexington for summer workouts, freshman Braydon Hawthorne has quickly begun to turn heads, and not just for his on-court talent. Though now ranked as a top-35 prospect, Hawthorne’s rise was relatively late in the recruiting cycle, and many recruiting analysts considered him a “late bloomer” in the 2025 class. Had he carried that top-35 ranking throughout his high school career, he’d be getting much more recognition and appreciation Still, regardless of the trajectory, Hawthorne is already proving he could be a major contributor for Kentucky — but not just in the future, but possibly as early as this season.
Even though he’s been performing great, what stands out most to the 6’8 wing isn’t just the talent in the gym, but the chemistry being built away from it. For a group of mostly new faces outside of a few major contributors from last season’s team, the early bonding between teammates has been just as valuable as the reps and drills.
“Every day we’re doing something outside of basketball. That means a lot, building that team chemistry off the floor is going to lead to wins on the floor. That’s how I look at it”.
Whether it’s grabbing food, messing around and scrimmaging on Instagram live, or making Tik-Tok’s together, he’s been intentional about adjusting to the college experience. The transition from being a top option in high school to a late addition on an already loaded Kentucky roster can be a tough adjustment for a lot of players, but not for Hawthorne, he’s just enjoying the ride:
“[It’s pretty amazing], just going out with the guys — going to get some food, go shopping, go to eat. It’s pretty fun,” he said. “Just the normal stuff, casual,”
The connection off the court is translating into competitive, high-level reps during practices and scrimmages. Hawthorne, who didn’t know any of his teammates personally before arriving at Kentucky, said he’s been thoroughly impressed with how deep and versatile this Kentucky roster is. When asked who has stood out most to him, he didn’t even hesitate — but he didn’t just name one person:
“Jasper has really — he’s just so shifty and he can shoot the ball so well,” Hawthorne said. “I’d say Otega. He’s very impressive using his body, get’s to his mid-range. That’s very impressive.” From there, the list kept on growing: “Mo — I can go on and on. Trent, he doesn’t miss. Kam [Williams] doesn’t miss. Jaland Lowe’s real crafty with the ball. Collin Chandler, he can shoot. Reece rebounds and shoots. Malachi blocks shots, rebounds, dunks. he does everything. Denzel Aberdeen, he shoots, plays defense, scrappy. He does everything.”
Even after that incredibly long quote, it didn’t stop there:
“I feel like i’m missing somebody … Mo! Oh yeah, Mo [Dioubate]. He’s strong, uses his body well, gets to the rim, he just does everything.”
Despite being new to the system and the physicality of the college game, Hawthorne has embraced the challenge. He’s been staying after practice for one-on-one matchups with guys like Otega Oweh, Jaland Lowe, and others, looking to sharpen his skills and learn as much as he can from veteran players:
“You’ve got to hold your own … But it’s just going to help me continue to get better and better every day.”
Braydon Hawthorne. Kentucky Men’s Basketball Practice | Photo by Chet White. UK Athletics
Despite the intensity in practices, he says things have stayed mostly quiet, at least when it comes to trash talking. He shrugs it off with a smile, not taking the silence as a slight, but holding his own:
I like that physicality. I stay after and play one on one with them to get used to it. They just don’t get the opportunity to talk trash because, I ain’t going to say all that,”
While his natural scoring ability has been evident, the coaching staff has reportedly been pushing to expand his impact, particularly on the defensive end. They have been working with him on physicality, decision making, legal contests, and any many other things that are very important to this year’s team defensive identity. As a result of this, you often see growing pains and tough adjustments, but he’s embraced it:
“I mean, it’s tough … But we’ve got to do it. That’s what it’s going to take to win” But the hard work is paying off, he’s seen steady improvements in shooting percentages and rebounds: “They count how many you miss or make throughout the day. If you don’t get 100 percent there’s a punishement. A lot of closeouts and contests.”
He understands it’s a grind, but realizing the bigger picture is the more important aspect. He understands what will earn him his early minutes in such a competitive rotation of 14 guys on this basketball roster that are incredibly talented.
“That’s what separates young guys from getting on the floor — defense. I feel like that’s a big piece of what i’m going to have to do to get on the floor.”
Braydon Hawthorne. Kentucky Men’s Basketball Practice | Photo by Chet White. UK Athletics
Long before he was even committed to Kentucky, Braydon wasn’t just a normal kid from West Virginia. As a kid, he attended father-son camps in Lexington with his dad and older brother. He stills keep the photo from that trip pinned up in his room. At the time, he had no idea the program would be the same one calling him many years later, especially after he had committed to West Virginia.
But the second he reopened his recruitment, the Kentucky staff reached out. For someone who had grown up watching and idolizing a program like Kentucky, it was pretty surreal.
“It was a crazy moment for me. This being my dream school growing up, I was in my room just not knowing what to do. It means everything. Like being here now, from just being a little kid looking at that picture every day. Now being here, it’s an honor to be honest with you.”
Now, as he gears up for his first season wearing the jersey he once and only dreamed about, he’s not taking any of it for granted. If the early discussions from summer are any indication, Kentucky fans may not have to wait long to see the “late bloomer” make a very early impact at Kentucky, with a chance to truly crack the rotation and be an important piece on an incredibly talented team.
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