Shaedon Sharpe, front left, has been on campus about a month but it seems more likely that he may not play this season. (UK Athletics Photo)
From the day Shaedon Sharpe confirmed he was reclassifying and joining the Kentucky basketball team for the second semester I had been convinced Sharpe would play this season. I know the player’s mentor said that was not the plan. Coach John Calipari said that was not the plan. Both insisted Sharpe was going to practice, not worry about the NBA Draft and play at UK during the 2022-23 season.
Still, I was sure he would play. He’s already projected as a potential top-five pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, so there’s no question about his talent. However, after Saturday night’s Kentucky win at Kansas, I am not so sure I think he will play this season.
No, it’s nothing anyone told me. It’s just a gut feeling after listening to Calipari after the dominant win.
“I said after the game Bryce (Hopkins), Daimion (Collins), and Dontaie (Allen) did not get in. And I said, ‘One, you got to be happy for this team. To do what we did today, you got to be happy. Second thing, you guys that are happy, got to keep picking them up so that they’re ready for their opportunity,'” Calipari said.
Note: No mention of Sharpe.
“The whole thing in all this, you want every one of these kids to play their best,” Calipari said. “The problem is we had three that didn’t play and we still got to make sure that we’re coaching them and building them and giving them an opportunity.
“But if they get an opportunity, it’s less minutes for somebody else. That guy’s got to accept that that might happen.”
The three players who did not play that Calipari referred to were Allen, a sophomore, along Hopkins and Collins, both freshmen.
Later Calipari was asked about the value of having a veteran team this year that does not rely on freshmen like most of his teams at UK have done.
“They’re on time, they have an idea of what I’m talking about because they’ve done it before,” Calipari said about UK’s veteran players. “You can lean on them. Sahvir (Wheeler), Kellan (Grady), even Davion (Mintz), Oscar, (Thsiebwe), Keion (Brooks).
“I mean, we got veteran guys. And they’re playing well enough that — that’s part of the thing with Bryce and Daimion. I mean, those guys in front of you are playing so well, you almost got to accept it. And then when you get your chance, you got to bust out, which is hard. It’s a hard deal.”
Again, no mention of Sharpe.
Kentucky is also playing so well that disrupting the team’s chemistry in February might not be the smartest thing no matter how talented Sharpe might be, especially if he’s more than content to just practice and watch games waiting for next year — or the NBA Draft.
Now am I convinced Sharpe will be at UK next year even if Calipari doesn’t play him? No, I am not because money talks.
However, that dominant win at Kansas and Calipari’s thoughts after the game make me think that maybe even as good as Sharpe is, he really is not going to play for UK this year.
13 Responses
Makes perfect sense LV.
Why rock the boat? If he never plays atleast he helped our guards in practice.
I don’t think Sharpe plays, I think he will bolt for the NBA too, hope I’m wrong.
He will never play a minute for UK. This situation is an abuse of our facilities and program that this coach has fostered if not out right encouraged.
Shameful.
I don’t think its shameful, he’s helping us to be better.
I don’t believe we will ever see him play a game at Ky, but if Sharpe practicing with us is the reason were playing like a final four team, then he was well worth bringing in to practice. Kids are much different now, and when players are getting paid 10s of millions in the first three years of there NBA life, who can blame them. I mean the reason you would ever go to school is to make a good living down the road, and these kids and there family’s are set for life if they are smart with there money. And if Sharpe is as good as NBA people think, he will make each and every one of our players better, so its not all in vain.
GO CATS
This team has been playing this well since game 10, and this kid did not arrive until 3 weeks ago. good try to give this kid credit or this team’s hard work and accomplishments. He only began 5 on 5 play in practice a week ago.
I guess it may be osmosis.
Calipari and this kid are abusing this system, and it must be stopped. Calipari tried it with Diallo, but Diallo could not get that as much as a sniff from the NBA during the summer so he had to return. This kid is different because the NBA can’t wait to get a hold of this kid.
Those who have said he definitely will return for next season have either been stupidly taken in or part of the fraud.
This is outrageous.
I said it since day one since we found out he was eligible he will not under any circumstances play at the university of Kentucky! Period it’s a non-issue it’s a distraction! And I agree it is a mis use of the facilities. Kids who could of got a scholarship didn’t because of him and if he didn’t think he would be eligible and is now. Since he is practicing and using team facilities he should not be on scholarship. This has blown up totally in Cal’s face and well as it should have because he knew as well! I don’t blame the kid it’s a business decision but I do blame his handlers and Cal!
Think about how the other kids feel that you say there playing better because of a kid who just arrived. Or look at the win at Kansas people chanting his name to go in but not the other kids who been here putting in time or that there efforts were not good enough we just want Sharpe! ITS A DISTRACTION! This has blown up so much in Cal’s face every coach in the world will use this against him in recruiting! Nothing but a mess and Cal and that kid handlers are at the center of it!
If Sharp bolts for the NBA, so be it.
I take consolation in the fact that he won’t be playing for Duke.
I think there is a lot of over reaction going on here. The other players seem to like him and even want him to play. I see him up and cheering hard during the games. If it were a son of yours it would be different then. You guys would want him to have every opportunity possible. As long as he’s doing everything that the other players are doing, I don’t see a problem. The team didn’t look distracted against Kansas.
I really think there are some that say they are Ky fans, that cant stand it that Cal is winning and doing so well😁
GO CATS
This entire deal with this kid is shameful. Has been from the beginning, and the worst is yet to come because the fallout will not simply go away.
I agree that it is not so much about the kid, but about the so-called adults in the room, first and foremost Calipari.
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