Braydon Hawthorne has acted as Caleb Wilson during practice ahead of North Carolina game

by: Zack Geoghegan2 hours agoZGeogheganKSR

Kentucky freshman Braydon Hawthorne isn’t checking in to real games right now, but he’s been playing an important role for the Wildcats ahead of Tuesday night’s showdown with No. 16 North Carolina.

“(Hawthorne has) been killing it on the scout team. This week, he’s been Caleb Wilson for us,” Sophomore guard Collin Chandler said Monday. “Braydon’s a great player, so having him on the scout team to help us get ready for these games coming up has been awesome. Energy aside, he’s been great for our team.”

For those unfamiliar with Wilson, he’s North Carolina’s best player and a projected NBA lottery pick in June. The star freshman leads the Tar Heels in scoring (19.9 PPG) and rebounding (9.9 RPG) while averaging a combined 3.0 steals/blocks per contest. A versatile 6-foot-10 forward, he’s very, very talented and will be the top player on Kentucky’s scouting report.

Mirroring Wilson’s size and skill set in practice is not an easy task. There are only a handful of players in all of college basketball who can do similar things on the floor. But Hawthorne, who clocks in at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, certainly has the length to at least give Kentucky an idea of how they’ll go about handling Wilson on Tuesday night in Rupp Arena.

“(Hawthorne is) so long. Caleb Wilson is very long and athletic,” Chandler added. “Braydon brings that to the table that we probably wouldn’t have otherwise. Someone who can give us that look. He’s helped us a lot to prepare.”

Thanks to Friends of Coal for powering KSR’s game day coverage.

Hawthorne is still giving up about 25 pounds to Wilson, and the talent difference is obvious, so it won’t be a perfect replication in practice. But he’s a much better alternative than one of the smaller players on Kentucky’s scout team. He’s also getting more and more comfortable as a college-level hooper as talks of a potential redshirt remaining ongoing.

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“In the beginning, he was kinda figuring it out,” Senior guard Otega Oweh said. “Your head is spinning, a whole lot is being thrown at you, but now he’s real comfortable. We’ve seen him in practice every day. I even said the other day, I was like ‘Braydon, you’re figuring it out.'”

It’s easy to forget that Hawthorne ended up being a highly-ranked recruit before arriving at UK. He blew up on the high school scene as a senior, finishing as the No. 35 overall prospect from the 2025 class — one spot higher than Jasper Johnson, who averages 7.7 points in 18.7 minutes per game for the ‘Cats. Even when he’s not playing, you’ll still notice Hawthorne cheering louder than anyone on the Kentucky bench.

“Braydon Hawthorne has been probably the life of the team,” Chandler said. “His energy is the same every day. I know that’s something that people can just say, but it really is true. His energy is great for our team.”

If Kentucky ends up limiting Wilson en route to a much-needed win over the Tar Heels, the Big Blue Nation can thank Hawthorne for helping provide the blueprint.