Breaking: Mark Pope announces big development news for the UK on another commitment matter
Kentucky might not be finished building its roster for the upcoming season. According to Travis Branham of 247 Sports, Braydon Hawthorne—a top-35 recruit in the 2025 class—plans to announce his college decision on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. Hawthorne is considering five programs: Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Duke, Pitt, and West Virginia.
Hawthorne previously committed to West Virginia but reopened his recruitment on March 21 following the departure of head coach Darian DeVries, who has since taken the job at Indiana. Despite de-committing, Hawthorne remains open to playing for new Mountaineers head coach Ross Hodge. In recent weeks, he visited Kentucky on April 16, followed by Virginia Tech, then met with West Virginia’s new staff, stopped at Pitt, and wrapped up with a final visit to Duke.
Although he likely wouldn’t see major minutes on a Kentucky roster that could return 13 players—pending Otega Oweh’s NBA Draft decision—Hawthorne could serve as a promising multi-year development project. He played his high school ball at Huntington Prep in Virginia and was named the “biggest riser of the high school season” by Branham. An important dynamic in his recruitment is his strong connection with a former West Virginia assistant coach, who is now part of the staff at Virginia Tech.
NEWS: Braydon Hawthorne, the No. 33 overall recruit in the 2025 class, will announce his college decision on Tuesday, May 20 at 7:00 PM ET live on @247Sports.
Has visited Duke, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. https://t.co/gEUt8Etzuw pic.twitter.com/TKhbe7Qale
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) May 18, 2025
Will Hawthorne stay close to home and rejoin West Virginia under new leadership, follow a trusted relationship to Virginia Tech, or take his talents to a different program entirely? His decision is just around the corner.
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