Mark Pope is having ‘ongoing conversations’ on Braydon Hawthorne

In the era of the Transfer Portal, redshirting has become almost extinct. But for Kentucky freshman Braydon Hawthorne, it might be the smartest play on the board.

Mark Pope revealed this week that the staff is deep in conversation about whether to play the talented freshman or save his eligibility for a time when he can truly impact the game.

“We’re having these ongoing conversations with our whole staff and his whole team,” Pope said. “The interesting thing about redshirt is, once you burn it for one second, you can’t get it back.”

Too good to sit, too deep to play?

Hawthorne isn’t a project player; he was the 33rd-best player in the country and a 4-star recruit. He is a 6-foot-8 lefty with a modern game and a high ceiling.

But the math is working against him this year.

1. Kentucky is already playing a tight 9-to-10-man rotation.

2. The wing spots are crowded with veterans like Denzel Aberdeen, Otega Oweh, Kam Williams, and Collin Chandler.

Burning a year of eligibility for Hawthorne to play 4 minutes of garbage time against Tennessee Tech doesn’t make sense.

The long game

“We’re just trying to make sure that’s the direction we want to go,” Pope added.

If Hawthorne agrees to sit, it’s a massive win for Kentucky’s future. It gives him a year to build his body in the weight room and learn the system without the pressure of minutes.

For a fan base that wants to win now, this is a rare move that prioritizes winning later. And for a talent like Hawthorne, that patience could pay off in a big way.

Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion