Last week, Kentucky strengthened its roster by adding Zyon Hawthorne, the younger brother of Braydon Hawthorne, who joined the program shortly after Braydon announced his own return.
Zyon, a 6-foot-2 combo guard from Huntington Prep, posted senior season averages of 11.2 points, seven assists, and three rebounds per game. He drew interest from several schools, including Wichita State, Arkansas State, Radford, La Salle, and Bethune-Cookman. In the end, however, the chance to play at Kentucky alongside his brother was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.
Appearing with his father, Walter Hawthorne, on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk, Zyon discussed his approach to joining the team.
“I just feel like everything lined up correctly,” Hawthorne said. “My brother is there. It’s the school I always rooted for growing up. I feel like, me being a basketball player and wanting to be the best version of myself, I feel like that’s just the choice that was right for me.”
Zyon is fully aware of the challenge ahead. With a deep and talented roster, significant playing time may be hard to come by right away much like his brother Braydon, who redshirted his freshman season.
“I’m aware that there’s probably no minutes for me my first year, but I work very hard, and I feel like one day, I’ll be able to carve out some minutes for myself,” he said.
Whether that path includes a redshirt year remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Zyon Hawthorne is committed to growth, development, and making the most of his opportunity in Lexington.
