Mark Pope and Kentucky scored a major recruiting win on Tuesday, landing a commitment from four-star small forward Braydon Hawthorne.

The 6-foot-8, 175-pound prospect from Huntington Prep in West Virginia announced his decision live on 247Sports, choosing the Wildcats over Duke, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and his former commitment West Virginia.

With Hawthorne in the fold, Kentucky’s 2025 recruiting class now ranks No. 11 nationally, per 247Sports.

A top-40 national prospect and the No. 1 player in West Virginia, Hawthorne originally signed with the Mountaineers under former head coach Darian DeVries. 

However, after DeVries left for Indiana in March, Hawthorne requested and was granted a release from his national letter of intent, reopening his recruitment and immediately becoming one of the most sought-after players in the country.

Pope wasted no time, prioritizing Hawthorne and hosting him for an official visit in April. After evaluating all of his top landing spots, Hawthorne ultimately chose the Wildcats, becoming Kentucky’s fourth commitment in the 2025 class.

Kentucky now awaits a critical decision from standout guard Otega Oweh on whether he will return to Kentucky next season as he continues to test the NBA Draft waters.

Oweh has until May 28 to withdraw his name and return to college basketball. He’s expected to be a frontrunner for SEC Player of the Year and a key veteran leader for the Wildcats should he return.