West Virginia still has plenty of needs to fill in the 2025 recruiting class, but the Mountaineers took the first step there with the addition of Huntington Prep (W.Va.) wing Braydon Hawthorne.
Hawthorne, 6-foot-8, 190-pounds, picked the Mountaineers over offers from Ohio, Old Dominion, UMBC, Florida Gulf Coast, Pepperdine and Mount St. Mary's after Associate Head Coach Chester Frazier visited him for a practice and extended a scholarship offer after observing his skill set.
The talented wing then took an unofficial visit to campus and would announce his choice just a few days later giving the Mountaineers a lengthy option with plenty of upside. Hawthorne displays the ability to alter or block shots at the rim, while he also is an effective rebounder. On the offensive end, Hawthorne displays the ability to hit shots as well as put the ball on the floor and get to the rim.
Now, the focus will be on continuing to develop and getting stronger but there is a lot to be excited about with his skill set when it comes to what it could eventually become.
Hawthorne has the added bonus of being an in-state prospect who is originally from Beckley and moved to Huntington Prep for the past two years where he has continued to develop on the court.
It’s a good start for the first full class under first-year Head Coach Darian DeVries but there’s going to be more work needed as the Mountaineers will have at least six open scholarships to fill with seven out-going seniors on the roster. That number could grow even more if there are any departures.
The early signing period will open from Nov. 8-15 and will give DeVries and the rest of his coaching staff the opportunity to ink some players before turning their attention to what will unfold in the spring period as well as when it comes to transfer portal recruiting. The head coach has already made it clear that the Mountaineers will utilize a mix of both high school options and transfers to round out the roster.
The prime target remaining on the board for the time being would be Santa Clarita (Ca.) Southern California Academy 2025 guard Kelvin Odih and he is set to make his decision this coming week. The Rivals.com four-star prospect took an official visit to West Virginia Aug. 30 and is now down to Rutgers, Creighton, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Colorado and the Mountaineers.
Odih, 6-foot-4, 190-pounds, has been a priority for assistant coach Tom Ostrom since the Mountaineers first jumped into the mix on July 26 and things have only continued to build from there. The coaching staff has made it clear that he could be an instant impact type of option and he likes his fit on both ends.
The nation’s No. 77 rated prospect, Odih has the ability to get downhill on offense and a reliable jumper. He is a plus rebounder as a guard and has the positional flexibility to guard anywhere between the one to the three and is one of the better defensive options in his class.
West Virginia will need to fill other needs but the coaches now have at least one key option in place with another decision coming soon.
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