Shaedon Sharpe, top player in 2022 class, may enroll at UK in January

Kentucky is going to have guard Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class, on campus. That much has not changed.

However, when Sharpe is on campus and how long he will be there is now up in the air.

The original plan was for him to play his senior season at Dream City Christian (Ariz.) and then be at Kentucky for the 2022-23 season. That seems to have changed, though, with Sharpe now “strongly considering” becoming a member of the UK basketball team in January.

Sources confirm Sharpe is contemplating finishing his high school degree in December and then immediately enrolling at UK for the second semester. However, the thought now is that he will not play the second half of the 2021-22 season at UK. Instead, he will practice with the team, work out with UK strength coaches and get ready for the 2022-23 season.

“He has a lot on the line. He is so close to making the NBA,” one source said.

Getting to UK obviously would make him eligible for name, image and likeness deals even if he did not play the second half of the 2021-22 season. With his status, he likely would land several national lucrative endorsement deals.

“He can get to Kentucky a semester early and make sure his body is ready for next year. He can train for a half year. That’s the football mindset of graduating early and then enrolling in school early to get a head start for that freshman season,” the source said.

“Some mock drafts already have him in the top five of the 2023 draft. He knows if he handles business, the rest will happen.”

Could Sharpe declare for the 2022 draft and never play at UK? He does turn 19 in May but there are different interpretations about whether he would be draft-eligible. My source says Kentucky wants a pledge he will be there for the 2022-23 season and Sharpe has indicated that’s what he wants to do. Could that change after he gets to UK? Absolutely.

Sharpe also enjoys playing for Dream City. He was barely in the top 200 of the rankings in his recruiting class when he transferred there for his junior season. A little over a year later he’s No. 1 in his class.

Coming early to UK would also keep him from playing in prestigious all-star events after the 2021-22 season ends.

“There’s really nothing more he can do in high school. He has to think about his long-term goals and handling his business,” the source said.

Kentucky fans thought they were going to get to see him play at the Marshall County Hoopfest in December and McCracken County Mustang Madness in January. It could still happen, but don’t count on it as all signs sure point to Sharpe being at UK in January.