However, another number that jumps out about the recent Kentucky signee is 4.25 — his cumulative high school grade-point average — and he says he’s always taken pride in his academic work.
“One day the balls will stop bouncing and that’s all you have,” Hawthorne said about his academics. “My dad definitely didn’t play about our grades. That started from a young age, so it’s always something I’ve took pride in.”
Zyon’s brother, Braydon Hawthorne, also plays at Kentucky and redshirted last season. The brothers, who grew up UK fans in West Virginia, both made it clear they wanted to play for coach Mark Pope and UK no matter what their roles might be.
“I’ve always taught them basically that hard work pays off,” Walter Hawthorne, the brothers’ father, said. “Nothing is given to you. Anything that you do in life, you have to work hard for it. Even on the basketball court, nothing is given to you or shouldn’t be. That’s why I also emphasized working hard in the classroom. Nothing’s given.
“Work hard. That’s always been my motto to them growing up. Work extremely hard and then work harder than the next person. I think that’s why they were super competitive growing up about their grades and other stuff.”
Zyon only made one B in high school. He got all A’s except for one pottery class.
“He had honors courses in English, math and all those things and then he made a B in pottery of all things,” Walter Hawthorne said. “I told him not to take the pottery class but he wanted to take it. I give him down the road all the time about that pottery class.”
