Braydon Hawthorne sees similarities between he and Tayshaun Prince

Mark Pope sent a ton of excitement through Big Blue Nation on Monday when he compared incoming freshman Braydon Hawthorne's playing style to Kentucky legend Tayshaun Prince, who then went on to play 17 years in the NBA, 12 of which with the Detroit Pistons.

Pope had social media buzzing with Kentucky fans after what he said about Hawthorne. "There is a whole bunch of Tayshaun Prince in this kid." Crazy enough, that wasn't the first time Hawthorne has heard that comparison. He told reporters on Thursday that his high school coach at Huntington Prep made that same comparision during his senior year. Hawthorne said he watched film after his coach made the comparison. The 6-8 forward also sees the same similarities that his coaches are seeing.

"I can see some similarities," Hawthorne said. What does Hawthorne see in both him and Prince? "Just like the length defensively, shooting the ball, just being able to everything." In his time at Kentucky, Prince played four seasons for the Wildcats, earning both All-SEC and All-American honors during his time. Their play styles are very similar. What Prince did at Kentucky is a lot to accomplish, but Hawthorne has an entire college career ahead of him. The 6-8 forward could end up being Kentucky's swiss army knife this season with his ability to be an all-around player. That role could set him up for a bright future.

Could Hawthorne play his way into a Prince-like career at Kentucky? That's a lot to ask of a young freshman, but with his time at Kentucky ahead of him, it's certainly a possibility and a question worth asking after comparing their game.