MORGANTOWN — Things moved quickly between the WVU men’s basketball coaching staff and in-state wing commitment Braydon Hawthorne.

The process unfolded over the span of around three weeks as associate head coach Chester Frazier came to watch Hawthorne practice at Huntington Prep and was impressed with what he saw.

“He saw me play and really liked what he saw and that they wanted me there,” Hawthorne said.

After that, an unofficial visit to campus last Tuesday to see the program up close was enough for Hawthorne to make the call and become the first pledge in the 2025 class on Friday, when Hawthorne informed head coach Darian DeVries and Frazier of his decision.

“They were excited,” he said.

Hawthorne, 6-foot-8, 175-pounds, selected the Mountaineers over a long list of scholarship offers including Ohio, Old Dominion, UMBC, Florida Gulf Coast, Pepperdine and Mount St. Mary’s.

The athletic wing is originally from Beckley and spent his first two years at Woodrow Wilson prior to heading to Huntington Prep where he has played the past two years. So, naturally the opportunity to stay home and play for the Mountaineers was simply too much to pass up.

Hawthorne had been to several games in the past and was excited to have the chance to represent the program after committing to the Mountaineers.

“It means everything to me to represent my state and being from here speaks volumes,” he said. “I always believed in myself even when other people didn’t.”

West Virginia sees Hawthorne as a wing in their system that has the ability to play defense on any position on the floor, block shots and play to his versatility on the offensive end. He believes that one of his biggest strengths at this stage of his development is his shooting on top of his defense but understands that as he gets stronger there is room for him to continue to grow.

Hawthorne is the first commitment for West Virginia in the 2025 class and is excited to have his recruitment behind him as he expects to sign in November.

“Let’s go, I’m just ready to get after it,” he said.

— Story by Keenan Cummings