9 hours Ago
Kentucky may not be done adding to the upcoming roster after all. According to 247 Sports' Travis Brnaham, 2025 top-35 prospect Braydon Hawthorne, will announce where he will be heading next season on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
ET. Hawthorne will be deciding between Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Duke, Pitt and West Virginia. Hawthorne de-committed from the West Virginia Mountaineers on March 21 after the departure of head coach Darian DeVries, who is now at Indiana.
The top-35 wing is open to playing for head coach Ross Hidge and the new staff at West Virginia. Hawthorne took a visit to Kentucky on April 16 before taking one to Virginia Tech just two days later, as well as a visit with the new West Virginia coaching staff and a trip to Pitt before taking his final visit to Duke. The top-35 prospect would unlikely have a significant role on next season's squad, one that includes 13 roster pieces, counting Otega Oweh, who is testing the NBA Draft process, but Hawthorne would be a nice multi-year development piece if he were to choose that route.
Hawthorne spent his high school career with Huntington Prep in Virginia, with Branham calling him the "biggest riser of the high school season" in his Senior year. It has been noted multiple times before, but it could be a significant factor in the recruitment of Hawthorne that former West Virginia assistant coach, who Hawthorne has a very close relationship with, is now at Viriginia Tech. Will Hawthorne choose to stay close to home with the new staff at West Virginia, will his relationship ties take him to Virginia Tech, or will the top-35 wing choose a different route to begin his college career?.
