Beckley’s Hawthorne commits to WVU basketball

Woodrow Wilson’s Braydon Hawthorne dunks against George Washington during a game Dec. 20, 2022, at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center in Beckley. Hawthorne, who later transferred to Huntington Prep, recently committed to West Virginia University.

It was a momentary trip back in time for Beckley native Braydon Hawthorne, the most recent commitment to the West Virginia University basketball program.

As Hawthorne sat on the bleachers at the YMCA of Southern West Virginia in Beckley Sunday, he ruminated those days.

“This is where my brother and I grew up, working out with my dad (Walter) since we were 4, 5 years old,” Hawthorne said, looking out on the court.

His brother Zyon is a standout at Woodrow Wilson.

Hawthorne had goals back then, and he met one of those last week when the current Huntington Prep standout committed to new coach Darian DeVries’ program.

“From a young age I just always knew I wanted to play basketball,” Hawthorne said. “I always used to say I wanted to play in the NBA but I didn’t think about getting this far.”

Once associate head coach Chester Frazier came to practice a few weeks back, things escalated quickly in his recruitment.

“He told me he wanted me to come (to Morgantown) and check it out and stuff,” Hawthorne said. “I went down on an unofficial visit and they told me they really wanted me. After that I took two or three days and I called them and told them I was all the way in.

“I really love the coaches. They made me feel like it was family.”

From a hoops standpoint, what’s not to like?

He is an all-around player.

“Exciting,” he said when asked to describe his game. “Can guard any position on the floor, one through five. Can dribble, shoot, pass. I feel like I can do everything.”

He feels he fits the mold of a player in the DeVries system.

“They have a lot of skill players who can shoot the ball,” Hawthorne said. “When I went to their practice they were really big on defensive stuff and I feel like I can play a big role in that and my 3-point shooting as well.”

The one thing he must do, he said, is get higher and stronger and that process is under way.

“I think my overall game is just fine, I just need to get body ready — get stronger, put on some weight,” Hawthorne said. “I was on a meal plan last year and I actually gained 20 pounds. I’ve been on it for a little bit. Just got to keep doing it.”

A 6-foot-8 wing, Hawthorne is a prolific shooter from distance, brought on from learning guard skills in those early Y days.

“Growing up, working out with my dad and my brother, I wasn’t always the tallest (guy). Probably up until I was in ninth grade. We worked on guard skills, shooting and all of that. I came from that (background), being able to shoot.

“I think it benefits me greatly. If I have somebody big in me I think it’s a mismatch. I think I’m fast enough, I can dribble the ball like a guard and I can shoot like a guard. I think that helps a lot.

He understands the ramifications of a state player being a full-scholarship player in the program. It doesn’t happen every year.

“It really does mean a lot,” Hawthorne said. “It doesn’t get any better than representing the place you come from, your home state, and being the first one in the Class of 2025.”

He grew up a Mountaineer fan and he had some favorite players.

“Jevon Carter, he was elite,” Hawthorne said of the current Chicago Bulls point guard. “And Juwan Staten. I went to watch them play when I was in the fourth or fifth grade.”

Considered the top prospect in West Virginia for the class of 2025, Hawthorne had received offers from Florida Gulf Coast, Mount St. Mary’s, Old Dominion, Pepperdine, Radford, UMBC and Wichita State.