Kentucky coach John Calipari clarified Monday that five-star prospect Shaedon Sharpe will not suit up for the Wildcats this season after graduating high school early and joining the UK program in January. Sharpe ranks as the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2021 class, according to 247Sports, after his reclassification from the 2022 class.
As Kentucky guards Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington dealt with injuries in recent weeks, speculation grew that perhaps Sharpe could be in the running for playing time, despite the fact that he only recently arrived on campus.
"After talking with Shaedon and his parents, we want to end all of the speculation by again saying that he will not play for us this season," Calipari posted on Twitter. "He is committed to bettering himself and our team in practice this year and being better prepared to lead us next season."
The London, Ontario, native is a 6-foot-6 guard who ended his high school career playing for Dream City Christian in Arizona. Sharpe has also represented Canada in international competition. He is eligible to enter the 2022 NBA Draft since he meets the age requirements to be eligible for selection this year. But Calipari's Monday message seems to indicate that a return to UK for the 2022-23 season is a serious possibility for Sharpe.
Whenever he does turn pro, Sharpe is regarded as a potential top-10 NBA Draft pick. Here is his full scouting report from 247Sports' national basketball director Eric Bossi:
A product of Canada, Sharpe is an explosive athlete with a nose for the rim. He loves to catch, face and is tough to stop because of an electric first step and his ability to get downhill, into the lane and then finish around the rim. Over the last year, Sharpe has improved tremendously as a ball handler, pull-up jump shooter and shot maker from beyond the three point line. The improved ball handling has allowed him to be much more creative as a scorer and playmaker for others. Sharpe has long arms, moves well laterally and has all of the tools to develop into a player who is just as disruptive on the defensive end of the floor as he is on offense.
