Houston basketball added Triston Hawthorne to its 2027 recruiting class on Sept. 17, giving the Cougars four four-star prospects. 247Sports currently ranks the group No. 1 nationally, with every member placed among the country’s top 100 players by the service.
Hawthorne attends South Jones High School and is from Ellisville, Mississippi. He measures 6 feet 7 inches and weighs 190 pounds. The 247Sports Composite rates him No. 15 among 2027 power forwards and No. 80 overall, while 247Sports lists him as Mississippi’s top player.
Houston, Ole Miss and Mississippi State were the three Power Four programs that offered him. He visited Houston on Aug. 20, followed by visits to LSU on Sept. 5 and Harvard on Sept. 8.
A report describes Hawthorne as a contributor near the basket on offense and defense. He averaged 10.8 rebounds, including 4.0 offensive rebounds, and 4.3 blocks per game. His athleticism and 7-foot-2 wingspan are expected to help him rebound and defend.
He is less developed offensively, but has produced near the rim and from the dunker’s spot. He takes most of his attempts in the paint and makes about 60% of his free throws. The class also includes center Derek Daniels and guards Oneal Delancy and Darrell Davis.
