Shaedon Sharpe apparently will solicit information from the NBA before making a definite decision on where he'll play next year. (UK Athletics Photo)
If you are looking for encouraging news about Shaedon Sharpe playing at Kentucky next season, you didn’t get in Monday night during John Calipari’s final radio show of the season. The show was pre recorded because Calipari was on a recruiting trip and unavailable to take calls during the 6-7 p.m. time slot for the show. Instead, fans were told on social media about four hours before the show that they could submit questions, and host Tom Leach would pick some to ask.
One question was about Sharpe’s status for next season after he enrolled at UK in late December but did not play this season. He’s projected as a top 10 pick in the upcoming NBA draft if he decides to turn pro.
Calipari said he had talked to Sharpe’s parents about what path he needed to take.
“I think he’s going to explore, but he’s got to make a decision of ‘Do I want this right now? Am I ready for this right now?'” Calipari said about Sharpe testing the NBA market.
The Kentucky coach said the only valid “information comes from the NBA” and not agents and those close to players or their families.
“You have a better idea what everything is then,” Calipari said. “Until these kids get that information it’s hard.”
So far all the information from NBA mock drafts and various NBA media members is that Sharpe is a lottery pick and soon to be millionaire if he opts not to stay at UK as he has insisted he plans to do for the 2022-23 season.
Here’s the honest assessment that should worry UK fans.
“I hope I get a chance to coach him in real games. I enjoyed him in practice. He’s a super talent,” Calipari said.
Kentucky fans have the same “hope” for next year.
8 Responses
I have a problem with paying for an athlete scholarship and they never step foot on the hardwood and never intend to. So really what was the purpose of Sharpe setting on the bench? My child goes to UK and would have loved the scholarship money that was spent on him. My child can sit on the player’s bench if that’s all you have to do to get a 1/2 year scholarship. I can’t say for sure he’s gotten a scholarship but I would have assumed he did.
I’m really tired of hearing about him if he isn’t coming back to play next year. He really has no loyalty to UK.
Why would he have any loyalty to UK. The UK coach doesn’t either
I called it when they said he was graduating early and enrolling at UK. He would never play a second in a UK uniform. Cal insisted he was coming back, his parents insisted he’s coming back, just wanted to get to get settled in and practice with Cal and the team. They have been blowing smoke up our rear ends the whole time.
Here’s the kicker, now with the NIL money out there, if this kid is as good of a talent as Cal and others say he is, he nor his family will need for anything because he will have a 7-figure NIL deal for next season if he stays. So the "family is starving" argument doesn’t hold water anymore. He’s testing the waters because he has never wanted to play here, but kept buzz about him going long enough to keep the NBA interested. If he stays, I’ll never cheer for him, and if he goes, I hope the team that takes him never wins another game.
A fraudulent liar like Triple C. “Cal Can’t Coach” for the ones that have seen the new nickname picking up steam on the Internet.
If you listen real closely to Coach Cal, he is intensely focused on developing players, who want to make it to the next level. Winning a championship is antithetical to most of the these kids. Its about going to the pros. Championships make for good advertising only. I think Barnhardt needs to remind Coach Cal that championships are what matters to the people that pay the bills – FANS.
Sharpe is going to say…seeya suckers! Hopefully, Wheeler does the same.
I wish you would say seeya later!
I think after the Kansas game Cal probably thought they wouldn’t need him…Probably wished they would’ve activated him at the end as shots weren’t and scoring was brutal..