Shaedon Sharpe (UK Athletics Photo)
It’s not unusual for Kentucky coach John Calipari to be late to a media opportunity but he had a good reason for not joining Sports Talk with Dan Issel and Mike Pratt in Louisville Friday.
Calipari said freshman Shaedon Sharpe stopped by his office after he got out of class. The coach said that was the first time he had seen Sharpe — who put his name into the NBA Draft Thursday — in about a week.
Some Kentucky fans might not want to see what Calipari said about Sharpe, who joined the UK program in December but did not play in a game with the idea being he was going to practice and play during the 2022-23 season. But Calipari said don’t put Sharpe in the NBA just yet despite multiple national media reports Thursday that Sharpe would keep his name in the draft.
“Here’s what I tell everybody: Nothing has changed in the last two months about how we’re going about this. I’m talking to his mother and father and we’re talking once a week. I’m not overbearing with this stuff. But they will play a part in this,” Calipari told Issel and Pratt, both former UK All-Americans.
“What changed is he was coming back, that was the plan. But all of a sudden, some circumstances changed and maybe he can be picked in those early, early picks (of the NBA Draft). Maybe he can’t.”
Calipari confirmed that Sharpe has registered for both the summer and fall semesters and then shared another nugget.
“He put his stuff from his room in the basement of the lodge because you can’t keep it in there. Kids that are coming back just put it down there, he put his stuff down there,” Calipari said.
However, the coach then admitted he did not know if Sharpe would be back at UK or not.
“First of all, would you two (Issel and Pratt) expect me to talk about what I’m talking to his parents about or him? Why would people say he should be telling us what’s being said? What? If it’s your child, you want me to talk about what we’re talking (about) in private?
“All I can tell you is he may do this, but it is not done.”
Calipari did indicate negative fan/social media comments might impact Sharpe even though he told him not to let a small group influence the decision he has to make about the NBA.
“Shaedon knows I want to coach him. Shaedon knows that Oscar (Tshiebwe) is coming back. Don’t let all of the negative stuff affect your decision,” Calipari said.
“If you want to come back, that should play no part. Let that alone. He’s another great kid. He’s a great kid, man. You want him to be more ‘go’ and all that, but he is who he is. Very talented, great teammate.”
Oscar Tshiebwe put together a standout season for Kentucky in 2021-22 and caught much attention across the college basketball landscape. After averaging 17.4 points and 15.1 rebounds per game for the Wildcats a season ago, Tshiebwe had the option to either enter his name into the 2022 NBA Draft or return to Lexington to play another season with UK.
After taking the time to weigh his options, Tshiebwe ultimately made the decision to return to Kentucky for another season, announcing the news live on ESPN’s SportsCenter earlier this week. While Tshiebwe made it clear that he has unfinished business with the Wildcats and also wants to be a future NBA lottery pick, Kentucky head coach John Calipari has now shared the detailed conversations he had with his forward.
Joining ESPN Radio Louisville’s SportsTalk with Dan Issel and Mike Pratt show on Friday morning, Calipari broke down what went into Tshiebwe’s decision to return to Kentucky and hold off on the NBA.
“He had to go through a process,” Calipari said of Tshiebwe. “Like Kellan [Grady] and all these kids, they loved it last year. They had a ball. And Oscar said, ‘I had more fun playing basketball than I’ve had – like, ever. … And I got better.’ So, he says unfinished business. The one thing he said was I’ve got to pray to God – the kid’s authentic now, he’s just authentic. So, I knew what he was saying. I said, ‘When you pray, you can’t say, ‘God, please influence me to leave.’ That’s not a good prayer. … You can’t say it that way.’
“When he hit me back, he said, ‘I asked God why did I win every award, do all that I did and not be a lottery pick?’ And he said, ‘The answer I got back was ’cause you’ve got unfinished business.’ Could you imagine? He talked to his mother. Now, there were people in his ear trying to get him to leave anyway – up until the end, until he sat in that chair to say ‘I’m doing this.’ He did a video – according to our people – the week before that said I’m coming back, then another video that said that I was leaving, in case he changed his mind.”
Tshiebwe ultimately didn’t change his mind and announced that he would be coming back to play another season with the Wildcats, looking to have another stellar year at the collegiate level.
“It was him saying, ‘I want to come back, win a championship, and I want to come back and be a lottery pick,’” Calipari said. “And I said, ‘Alright, I like those two things. Let’s go for them.’”
16 Responses
Lol..the saga continues.
Cal needs a team that basically coaches itself.
Teams coaching themselves. That’s what’s been happening beginning with the lost to Wisconsin. Couldn’t get a shot off with three straight time violations and since then never calling time outs and always playing man to man defense because that’s the NBA way.
All of the other NCAA teams have a coach, we have a Calipari.
I believe Sharpe wants to return so bad! His inner circle is so loud and want to line their own pockets. Let the man enjoy his beginning years around those who are enjoying the same. You have a lifetime to live once you become a true adult, but you have only once to have the closeness earned and deserved from those your age. I support his decision one way or the other, but he should enjoy now NIL will provide the financial support. Go Sharpe!!!!
What a complete fraud on the Big Blue Nation.
This has been the plan since day 1. Calipari has lied repeatedly and continues to use doublespeak to avoid talking about the elephant in the room.
You guys arnt Kentucky fans obviously!!! Cal is a hall of famer and one of only two coaches to take 3 different teams to a final four. Cal could easily have 4 or 5 championships and hes got at least 8 years left.
Maybe if we’re lucky and we play our cards right maybe we could pry Grant Combs away from his armchair to coach us 🤷♂️🙄🤣🤣
Cal is not the best coach out there.
That is funny..so if you gave me 12 or 13 years from today . Cal would have 1more championship than me. Wooh.
Point made Grant. No need to keep arguing. Everyone has their own opinion
Mr. Big Blue Hue, such a comment has absolutely no place in this debate. Just because someone disagrees with you does not make that person not a fan.
These comments are designed to shut down the conversation, but that will not happen.
Calipari is a fraud and has sold out this program.
ARTICLE X
PLAYER ELIGIBILITY AND NBA DRAFT
Section 1. Player Eligibility.
(a) No player may sign a Contract or play in the NBA unless he has
been eligible for selection in at least one (1) NBA Draft. No player shall
be eligible for selection in more than two (2) NBA Drafts.
(b) A player shall be eligible for selection in the first NBA Draft with
respect to which he has satisfied all applicable requirements of Section
1(b)(i) below and one of the requirements of Section 1(b)(ii) belowThe player (A) is or will be at least nineteen (19) years of
age during the calendar year in which the Draft is held, and
(B) with respect to a player who is not an international
player (defined below), at least one (1) NBA Season has
elapsed since the player’s graduation from high school (or,
if the player did not graduate from high school, since the
graduation of the class with which the player would have
graduated had he graduated from high school);
Folks, perhaps a lot of the BS flying around right now would stop if people would read the actual language in the NBA CBA on draft eligibility.
This morning, the BS rose to new heights of absurdity on the Sunday Morning Sports talk with Jack Pilgrim talking about Sharpe may never have graduated high school and how that might impact his draft eligibility.
For the NBA, whether this kid actually graduated high school is a NON ISSUE. and if he did not actually graduate as Pilgrim is floating, it should help his draft eligibility not hurt it. However, if this kid did not actually graduate from high school, as Pilgrim is saying may be the case, then the fraud on UK basketball explodes to heights that I never saw coming.
How could UK ever admit a student who did not graduate from high school, regardless of the NCAA rules that apply to student-athletes? If Jack PIlgrim’s theory is right, then this University has some serious questions to answer NOW!!!!!!!
This situation has been a fraud on the UK fans from the git go. Those who are still trying to find some argument to support and defend what has happened are exposing themselves in the biggest way possible.
If for some reason, the NBA does declare this kid ineligible for the draft, which I cannot imagine, and IF this kid does return to UK next season, I will never welcome him as a legitimate member of the UK basketball team, and I will be done with this program for so long as Calipari remains. I have been a fan of this program all my life. I have bled blue.
I am totally disgusted by every aspect of this situation.
I’d take Jon scheyer over cal.
Mr. Vaught,
IF Sharpe, Cal, and the family have been as genuine as possible under difficult circumstances;
IF this has all been on Washington – we know that he has indicted himself with his own public quotes. What we dont know is if anyone else was complicit or just unwitting victims.
IF Sharpe needs to and wants to come back- he gets feedback that says he isn’t ready and can’t get the high guarantee pick he needs to be a sound financial decision;
IF (this is the big one for me), Calipari and the family fully explained the situation publicly – Washington was the bad guy – and I do mean full transparency, explaining every head scratcher throughout this mess – no word salads fro Coach
THEN, could we accept him into the fold? Oscar wants him; Calipari wants him; assuming his teammates would want him;
I could welcome a guy and give him the same chance as any other player if all he wanted to do was play basketball and some adult tried to take advantage of him.
But, if any of the IF’s above weren’t met, it would have to be some other completely understandable explanation for me "Explanation" being the key word.
I don’t think we will ever know who exactly knew what or said what in the Sharpe deal