Braydon Hawthorne gave Kentucky a glimpse of what he might become in Wednesday night’s exhibition win over UCF, and he did it in a hurry.
In the third and final tune-up before the real games begin, Kentucky hosted Johnny Dawkins’ Knights at Rupp Arena and got a little bit of everything along the way. One of the brighter notes was Hawthorne’s early burst.
He came off the bench in the first half and wasted no time making an impression, burying two tough 3-pointers and hitting one of two free throws. By halftime, he and Mason Williams were tied for the team lead with seven points each.
That kind of confidence has been part of Hawthorne’s appeal. At Kentucky Pro Day, the takeaway was simple: he’ll let it fly. Now he’s showing that same edge against live competition, and it’s starting to look more than just theory.
The sophomore’s night ended with those seven points, but his impact went well beyond scoring. At 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Hawthorne was active on the defensive end, getting into passing lanes and finishing with three blocked shots. One of those swats came with 2:11 left, when he came over on a UCF fast break and shut it down.
With Kam Williams and Trent Noah unavailable right now, Kentucky could use Hawthorne to keep growing into a dependable piece. Even Mark Pope seemed to be buying in, designing the final out-of-bounds play to get Hawthorne the ball. The result wasn’t pretty - he missed both attempts - but the fact that the play was called for him said plenty about the trust being built.
For Kentucky, the box score only tells part of the story. Hawthorne flashed enough in this one to make you think there’s more coming.
In Other News...
Kentucky Nearly Let UCF Steal A Game The Wildcats Should've Closed
Kentucky had plenty of chances to put UCF away in regulation, but the Wildcats kept leaving points at the line and let a double-digit lead slip away. A team that should have been able to close the door instead turned a comfortable night into a tense one, with free throw struggles becoming the biggest reason the game stayed alive longer than it should have.
UCF did its part to make things uncomfortable, cashing in at the stripe and even taking the lead late in regulation before Kentucky finally steadied itself in overtime. The Wildcats still finished with a 90-76 win, but the final margin did not reflect how shaky it got, or how much cleaner this one should have looked long before the extra period. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky's New-Look Team Already Has One Frustrating Problem
Kentuckys new roster got its first real tune-up Saturday night, and the result was encouraging even if it came with a reminder that exhibition games can still feel unfinished. The Wildcats outlasted UCF 90-76 in overtime, getting a strong showing from Mason Williams, who led the way with 18 points, while Malachi Moreno flashed the kind of all-around impact that can make this group interesting as the season gets rolling.
Moreno came close to a triple-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, a sign that Kentucky may have more than one player capable of shaping a game in different ways. Still, the tighter stretches and extra five minutes were a hint that theres work to do before the games count for real, and the Wildcats wont have long to sort it out with Manhattan coming to Rupp Arena on Tuesday to open the regular season. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Point Guard Picture Still Feels Unsettled After Dramatic Finish
Kentuckys exhibition win over UCF offered a useful early look at how the Wildcats might sort through their backcourt, and it was not just because of the final score. Alex Wilkins helped force overtime with a floater in the closing seconds of regulation, then chipped in five more points in the extra period, while Mason Williams led the scoring with 18 points. Zoom Diallo was part of the conversation too, finishing with six assists even as his shot never really found its way.
For a team still sorting out who settles where, the night underlined both the upside and the uncertainty. Mark Pope got a chance to see different players handle pressure, make plays and show some maturity in a game that turned choppy at times before Kentucky took control in overtime. The point guard picture still feels like one of the more interesting pieces of the preseason puzzle, and this was exactly the kind of late-game test that can start to clarify it without fully answering the question. [Read more 🡒]