Top West Virginia Target Braydon Hawthorne is Set to Reveal College Decision

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated May 19, 2025 7:51 AM ET

Ross Hodge has done a terrific job thus far putting together a roster that can compete in the Big 12 and possibly for a spot in the NCAA Tournament in year one. Many of the pieces are in place, but there's still one big fish out there that he and his staff are hoping to reel in - Braydon Hawthorne.

A decision is set to be made on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

The Beckley, West Virginia, native committed to WVU and signed with the program while Darian DeVries was at the helm, but opened up his recruitment shortly after his departure to Indiana. The initial thought was that the Hoosiers would be firmly in the mix, but they've never really been in the conversation for the 6-foot-8 forward.

Instead, Hawthorne has kept his interest in West Virginia while entertaining Duke, Kentucky, Pitt, and Virginia Tech - all of which just recently began recruiting him hard. Although he has a strong relationship with Chester Frazier, a former WVU assistant who is now at Virginia Tech, it would be surprising to see him land in Blacksburg. WVU's other top rival, Pitt, is also considered to be a long shot.

Kentucky, from what I'm hearing, is West Virginia's biggest concern. Although the NIL package in Lexington may be more lucrative, the long history of the Kentucky program pumping guys into the NBA could be the ultimate deciding factor.