Shaedon Sharpe, left, likely will still test his NBA draft stock before making a final decision on playing at UK next year. (UK Athletics Photo)
Why did John Calipari decide Monday was the right time to make it official that freshman Shaedon Sharpe would not play for the Wildcats this season? Speculation has continued to build since Sharpe reclassified from the 2022 recruiting class and enrolled at Kentucky for the second semester. Calipari said Monday that Sharpe’s “initial plan” to practice with the team this season and then play for the Cats next season remains intact.
Calipari met with Sharpe’s family and told them they needed to make sure his playing status didn’t “become a story because it doesn’t need to be” even though the story still likely will not go away.
“The family said look, he was going there to practice to sit out and get ready for the following year,” Calipari said after Tuesday’s win at South Carolina. “And I said, ‘Well, has it changed?’ I said, ‘Why don’t you guys sleep on it?’
“And if it’s changed let’s talk about it, but if it hasn’t changed. I’m just gonna say that.”
Calipari knows speculation won’t end that Sharpe will not be at UK next year because he’s in the NBA.
“Anybody can say anything,” the Kentucky coach said. “This kid comes back he’s the number one draft pick in my mind. He’s the number one draft pick. How can I say that?”
Words cannot do justice to the emotion Calipari put into this next statement.
“I know what the number one draft pick looks like because I’ve had four. That’s why I could say what it looks like,” Calipari said. “He could be the number one draft pick. Would he be ready to go this year? You know there’s someone who will take him and say we’re going to get you ready.”
Calipari said the NBA is a “man’s league” and that going through the “gauntlet” at Kentucky helps players get ready to succeed.
“His family knows it. He knows it. He said the attention to detail here he’s never seen anything like,” Calipari said. “Well guess what? When you move up, it’s even more so. He’s a great guy. I love coaching this kid.”
But hasn’t Calipari always encouraged players to head to the NBA draft if they are a top five or even top 10 pick like Sharpe is already projected to be rather than stay in college and risk injury? Will he at least encourage Sharpe to test the NBA waters to get feedback on his draft status?
“We haven’t gone that far. But I don’t see any reason not to. But again, if someone in this draft would take him …,” Calipari said.
Calipari said if an NBA team guarantees him they will take Sharpe in the top five picks they “won’t lie because I won’t let them back in our gym” if they don’t pick him that high.
“So if someone is saying we’re going to do this, you’re going to sit down and talk,” Calipari said. “He may say, ‘Coach, I am not ready.'”
Calipari said that has happened before with players, so that’s why no one knows what might happen with the draft.
15 Responses
When it comes to college basketball, I’ve never heard of the head coach leaving it up to the parents deciding if the kid plays or not.
Usually the parents are asking the coach if their kid is going to get to play.
Cal likes being a trendsetter and he’s getting one started here with players opting out of playing college basketball like they do in football.
It’s like a CEO making 10 million per year letting the employees decide if they want to work or not, and still paying the employees if they decide not to work.
Hopefully it doesn’t continue to cause distraction to this hard playing team we’ve got.
I must admit they haven’t looked the same since the Kansas game.
But who would? The players actually playing and thumping Kansas get rewarded by fans in attendance chanting for Cal to put Sharpe in the game.
That wouldn’t sit very well with me either if I was out there giving it all I had.
Of course he will. That has been the plan all along, and at last we have a tad of the truth emerging from the naturally deceitful man who takes millions to care for the UK program but places its welfare down the list below having his name associated with future NBA players.
This entire situation has been a fraud from day 1. Now the fraud is confirmed.
This kid needs to be shown the door today. Pack your bags and get the F___ out of the University of Kentucky athletic facilities.
This man who the BBN pays millions is a con-man, and sells ice to eskimoes.
This is shameful.
We’ll Prof, that’s pretty cold.
If you’re right you may be quite the sage.
If you’re wrong you may forfeit your tenure !
It’s obvious Sharpe is not a distraction to the team. Actually they have played their best since he joined the team in January. Only a select few are complainers. The ones that act like they are losing money because he is there, I would like to know how much money you have invested in the university.
Not as much as you spent on your Stevie Wonder glasses to view Cal.
Sounds a lot like jealousy to me. Cal makes 10 million a year to your 10 thousand.
Cal makes 10 million a year to recruit players that will actually play at UK, to win games and championships for UK.
UK pays Cal a lot of money. But Cal doesn’t put what UK pays him to do FIRST!
Cal puts himself FIRST and pretends to put players first.
Cal don’t even pretend to put UK first. I will say that about him.
Well, which is it? I have read that this kid has not even practiced 5 on 5 with this team. He is simply utilizing the facilities, access to the coaches, and an association in name only with the University of Kentucky basketball program to circumvent the NBA one-and-done rule. So, his mere presence in the facility somehow makes these players play better.
This is Calipari’s new model. He trotted it out with Diallo, but Diallo had to withdraw from the NBA draft because he was not as valuable a commodity in that draft as he thought and he had to return to UK to play 1 season. If he had been good enough, like this kid, he too would never play a second of basketball for UK despite availing himself of all the trappings and benefits of a UK basketball player.
This is Calipari’s method, no one else in the world is doing this, and it is wrong.
Please refer to comment #3 – let’s see how it plays out before you pull out the cross and nails – thanks.
You expect this kid to return to actually play for Kentucky next year?
I don’t, and never have. As this story has evolved over the last 5 months, every new development has busted another of the lies.
I suppose you can still argue that he will be back despite his eligibility for the 2022 NBA draft AND his probable to 10 draft spot. Given Calipari’s record on similar situation, Calipari will not only push him out the door in May, but be seen on national TV at the draft in June.
This is his record, and there is no reason to expect that to suddenly change because the UK administration clearly is not willing to put an end to this shameful fraud.
BTW, I want this kid to play for Kentucky this year and next year.
If I am wrong and this kid does return as the "initial plan" was stated, I will admit my error. By the way, why has Calipari changed his language in the last 10 days to talk about the "initial plan" when before it was simply "the plan"?
If he never plays a minute for Kentucky, will you admit that you have been wrong and admit that this is an abuse of the UK basketball program by the head coach?
Hmmm? I rather doubt it.
Dearest Prof, I just suggested we keep our heads while this shakes out.
Sorry, but I won’t have to apologize or take credit for being correct.
You’re on that island alone my friend.
I may be in a minority position, but no one has yet to address the issues that I am raising, and until those issues have been addressed, I will continue to speak out about this fraud by this coach.
We all have our opinions and this is one of the situations with no real right or wrong I think. Just depends on perspective. Always enjoy your insights
Hmmm. I have nothing to add to this ego war except
GO CATS!