Braydon Hawthorne reportedly plans to return to Kentucky in 2026-27

Kentucky’s season is still alive, but it’s never too early to start preparing for the next.

According to Ben Roberts of the Herald-Leader, freshman wing Braydon Hawthorne intends to return to the Wildcats for the 2026-27 campaign. Hawthorne told Roberts in a sit-down interview last week that he “for sure” plans on sticking in Lexington for his second college season.

Hawthorne has not appeared in a game for Kentucky in 2025-26, redshirting the season to preserve his four years of eligibility. Unlike college football, where a player can appear in four games before burning a redshirt, college basketball players lose a redshirt after the first game they appear in. Hawthorne was considered a four-star recruit in high school, ranked No. 35 overall — one spot ahead of Jasper Johnson — in the final Rivals rankings for the 2025 cycle.

Checking in at 6-foot-8, Hawthorne came to UK as a skinny player with tons of potential. Head coach Mark Pope compared him to Tayshaun Prince during summer workouts. Hawthorne’s teammates have gushed over his talents since the offseason. He served as the Caleb Wilson clone when the Wildcats hosted Wilson (who shot 5-19 in that game) and North Carolina earlier this season.

There are moments throughout the regular season when burning Hawthorne’s redshirt was on the table, especially as Kentucky’s depth deteriorated due to injuries, but he dealt with minor injuries himself on a couple of occasions that kept him sidelined. He told Roberts that he had gone from a low of 173 pounds last summer to now weighing 192 pounds thanks to plenty of lifting and a strict diet.

Obviously, things can change between now and the start of next season. The transfer portal era is never short on surprises. But it’s nice to know where Hawthorne’s head is at as we enter the postseason.

[Braydon Hawthorne will return to Kentucky next season. He’s already learned a lot]