Mark Pope Knows He Has Three Special Freshmen

Braydon Hawthorne and coach Mark Pope (Vicky Graff Photo)

Kentucky men’s basketball has “three special freshmen” that coach Mark Pope thinks can all be contributors to this year’s team.

Braydon Hawthorne is the one freshman not being talked about a lot but Pope certainly talked about him at UK’s Media Day.

“I cannot wait for you guys to spend time with Braydon Hawthorne. He is just a joy. He is joy, and if you have ever been privileged to have a friend that has no guile, then you know what I mean about how lucky you are to be around a person that is just unfiltered, just gives you his whole heart,” Pope said.

“He’s not putting up a wall. He’s not trying to be too cool. He just is, like, just genuine joy.  I love this kid, and his ceiling — (former UK All-American) Tayshaun Prince came and visited us a couple of weeks ago, and I looked at those guys standing shoulder to shoulder, and I’m, like, my gosh, right now B.H. is actually just a little bit broader than Tayshaun, which is crazy.

“This is Braydon Hawthorne. He’s built special, and I think he has an incredible upside.”

Jasper Johnson is the highest rated freshman and the one most fans think will make a major contribution this season with his shooting and overall play.

“Can’t tell you how proud I am of him. The intensity with which he’s trying to grow in places that might not have been his strengths. He is digging in on the defensive side and trying so hard to buy into what we’re telling him this game is going to demand of him this season. He’s doing an unbelievable job,” Pope said.

“He’s become a much, much more consistent shooter as well as being dangerous. His percentages are really good right now. I’m incredibly proud of his focus, and he’s growing every single day in important ways.”

Moreno, a 7-footer, led Great Crossing to the state championship last season and was Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball.

“He walked onto the court and was a presence from the very second he walked onto the court,” Pope said. “He’s going to have some growing pains because he’s a freshman, but his impact is incredible.

“He’s in the high 70s, low 80s in terms of field goal percentage right now, and he’s our leading rebounder on the team. He just is a dominant force inside. His communication skills are growing. He’s got a chance to be really special in a list of bigs that have been incredible here at Kentucky.”