by LARRY VAUGHT
“They were super competitive. They were always competitive growing up from the basketball court to I ate more food than you to their grades,” said Walt Hawthorne, the brothers’ father. “It was always competitive, especially on the basketball court. It got to the point where I had to make them quit playing one-on-one because it was always a fight.
“When they got older they were able to play one-on-one but it was still very competitive. But back when they were younger it was always a fight. It never ended without a fight.”
The brothers likely will be battling each other a lot next season during Kentucky practices. Braydon will be a redshirt freshman wing after practicing with the team last year but not playing. Zyon will be a true freshman point guard.
Zyon believes playing against his brother helped develop him into the player he is today.
“Braydon has always been taller and longer than me, so getting to the rim and getting my shot off was not easy. He helped me a lot with that,” said Zyon. “We always played together when we were younger. I was always the point guard. Braydon could score better than me, so I would come down and always try to get the ball to him.
“Braydon helped mold me into a true point guard and played a big role in making me the basketball player I am and how I play the way I play.”
So when they did fight, who normally initiated the scuffles?
“I probably was the one initiating it,” Zyon said.
Both Hawthornes grew up Kentucky fans and having an older brother already at Kentucky made Zyon’s decision to sign with UK even easier.
“I just feel like everything lined up correctly for me to come to Kentucky,” Zyon said. “My brother is there. It’s the school I grew up rooting for. It’s the best place for me to become the best version of myself. It was the choice that was right for me.”
