While technically there is a possibility of a return based on draft eligibility concerns, which you can read about here, for all intents and purposes, it should be assumed that Sharpe is going to the NBA.
Since enrolling early at Kentucky, Sharpe and his camp have repeatedly said that he came early to prepare and would play for Kentucky in the 2022-23 season. With that no longer looking to be the case, it comes off as poor form.
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It’s okay to be frustrated, because let’s be honest, we were lied to and I truly believe the coaching staff was as well. Taking Sharpe and his camp’s word at face value came back to haunt them.
I don’t put much blame on Sharpe, but rather on his handlers. If they had been more transparent about the situation, the negative response would not be as bad, but they weren’t and may have even made it worse with one report saying they “affected the narrative and are quite amateur”.
Looking back to his decision to enroll early, let’s take a look at some now questionable comments made by Sharpe, his camp, and even Calipari.
October 25, 2021: “He will not be going to the NBA Draft” – Mentor
Sharpe’s mentor, Dwayne Washington, was interviewed by the Lexington Herald-Leader’s Ben Robertswhere he swiftly dismissed any talk of the NBA Draft.
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“He will not be going to the NBA Draft. That’s not even something to talk about. That’s like saying, ‘Are you going to go to Mars tomorrow?’”
November 9, 2021: “100%, I will be at Kentucky to play next season” – Sharpe
In coordination with his announcement to enroll in the spring semester, Sharpe was interviewed by Sports Illustrated’s Jason Jordan.
In the interview, Jordan asked Sharpe about the prospect of playing this season, where he answered, “I’ll do whatever the team needs, but 100% I will be at Kentucky to play next season.”
December 31, 2021: “There has never been a plan to play him” – Calipari
Following Kentucky’s win over High Point, Cal was asked about Sharpe with the spring semester starting soon, providing this quote:
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“We haven’t talked about (him playing), the family hasn’t talked about it. My guess would be, he’s fine. Let’s get him in shape and go from there. There was never a plan to play him. I left that out there so everybody would panic, but there has never been a plan to play him. But, let’s get him here and work him out, see how things are, and see how our team is.”
January 12, 2022: “You get in early, you’ll be able to see Shaedon work out” – Calipari
With UK’s spring semester starting January 10th, Sharpe was then able to join the team. On January 11th, Sharpe traveled to take on Vanderbilt, where he was throwing down between-the-legs dunks in pre-game warmups.
This was followed by what may have been the worst PR move from the Kentucky side of things, with Calipari telling fans to “come early” to see a glimpse of Sharpe.
“Come early. Come early. Alright, here’s what I’m going to tell you. You get in early, you’ll be able to see Shaedon work out. So if you want to be the first to see Shaedon work out, he’ll be on there doing pregame and you’ll get to see him and say — You’ll be the first one to tell everybody, ‘I saw him.’ But you’ve got to get there early. He’ll be out there 90 minutes prior to tip-off.”
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January 14, 2022: “If he’s ready, I say let’s go” – Calipari
John Calipari followed up his previous comments by continuing to hype up a potential debut for Sharpe to play this season. When asked if a there would be a situation where Sharpe would play, Cal answered:
“I don’t know. If he’s not ready to play, I would not put him out there. I would say, come on, this kid just came here. How do you make us, you know? You can’t do that to the kid — unless he’s ready. If he’s ready, I say let’s go. But he practiced yesterday. He’s going to practice today. We’re doing stuff with him.”
January 21, 2022: “He plans on being here next year” – Calipari
“No, it doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t. He plans on being here next year. He’s watching. Whether I play him or not this year, if he’s ready to be in games, I’ll put him in. He’s a great kid, and he’s doing well. And he’s going to make practices even better. He’s only been here two weeks. But, at the end of the day, you know I’m going to be for kids. That’s how I do this.”
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January 22, 2022: “If he doesn’t play this year, he’s coming back next year” – Mentor
In an interview with Kentucky Sports Radio, Washington echoed the same sentiment as Calipari in regards to Givony’s report.
“It’s pretty idiotic. Everybody knew that this was an option, but we’re not taking it. He lost millions coming to school. He came to get better. … You come to get ready if you want to go to the NBA, which is one of the goals. You have to be ready. People don’t respect Calipari’s ability to develop enough, that’s why (Shaedon’s) there. He’s not there to sit on the bench and wave at fans. He’s coming back next year. If he doesn’t play this year, he’s coming back next year.”
February 2, 2022: “I feel like it’ll prepare me for when I play next year” – Sharpe
In one of Sharpe’s few media interactions during his time at Kentucky, he spoke to Curtis Burch on the “Behind Kentucky Basketball” podcast. Sharpe went on to talk about how his decision to enroll early. “I feel like it’ll prepare me for when I play next year,” he said.
February 7, 2022: “He is committed to bettering himself… this year and being better prepared to lead us next season” – Calipari
Calipari makes it official that Sharpe would not play this season, and this is in part due to some eligibility concerns regarding the mysterious nature of his graduation date, which have since been talked about.
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While the Kentucky compliance was not 100% sure, they did not want there to be the potential for any NCAA violation to affect the outcome of the season.
Calipari also doesn’t put this tweet out, saying “being better prepared to lead us next season,” if Sharpe’s camp is telling him there is a possibility of him leaving.
After talking with Shaedon and his parents, we want to end all of the speculation by again saying that he will not play for us this season.
He is committed to bettering himself and our team in practice this year and being better prepared to lead us next season.— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) February 7, 2022
February 8, 2022: This kid comes back, he’s the No. 1 draft pick
Following the day when it was announced that Sharpe would not be playing for Kentucky this season, Calipari gave his first quote in which he acknowledged that Sharpe could leave for the NBA Draft, saying, ” we don’t know yet.”
“It is what it is. I know everybody will say, ‘Well, he isn’t coming,’ Yeah, well anybody can say anything. This kid comes back, he’s the No. 1 draft pick. In my mind, he’s the No. 1 draft pick.How can I say I know what the No. 1 draft pick looks like? BECAUSE I’VE HAD FOUR. That’s why I can say what it looks like. He can be the No. 1 draft pick.
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March 21, 2022: “I hope I get a chance to coach him in real games” – Calipari
During this final radio show of the season, Calipari sounded defeated after losing to Saint Peter’s and came off with a complete lack of confidence that Sharpe would be returning, contrary to what had been said for months at this point.
“I think he’s gotta explore but he’s gotta make a decision on, ‘Alright, do I want this right now? Am I ready for this right now? Is it where I thought it was?’ Because as you go through the process, the information comes back from the NBA, not an agent or anybody else around you, it comes from the NBA…He’s another one. I hope I get a chance to coach him in real games because I enjoy him in practice and I enjoy him as a young person. He’s one of those guys but he’s a super talent though.”
April 12, 2022: “Nothing has been decided” – Mentor
Less than two weeks ago, reports from many college basketball insiders came out that said Sharpe would enter the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility. However, Sharpe’s mentor again insisted that “nothing has been decided”.
Shaedon Sharpe's mentor tells me there is no news to report. Sharpe is "at school finishing the semester" and "nothing has been decided."— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) April 12, 2022
Sharpe has until June 1st at 11:59 PM to make his final decision.
Fresh off the first live recruiting period of the offseason, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have extended their first scholarship offer of the 2028 class.
Yann Kamagate, a prospect who went from unranked to the top five in 247Sports’ most recent recruiting rankings, received an offer from the Wildcats, he confirmed to KY Insider on Monday.
“Not everyone gets the chance to be seen by greatness,” Kamagate told KY Insider. “I’m grateful for the offer from Kentucky.”
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Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean, who works with the Wildcats’ big men and their development, watched Kamagate first-hand this past weekend in the Adidas 3SSB circuit in Mishawaka, Indiana.
The 7-foot big man was the talk of the weekend, displaying a high motor, extreme athleticism — a reported 7-9 winspam — and great feel for the game. On the circuit, he is averaging 13.9 points, a circuit-leading 10.4 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game.
Originally from the West African country of Burkina Faso, Kamagate moved to the United States just a year ago and has only been playing basketball for three years. Now, he is challenging for the top spot in the 2028 class.
He is currently represented by former NBA player and UCLA star Luc Mbah a Moute. Which is relevant as he is currently playing for the California Adidas team, Compton Magic, and attends La Cañada Flintridge (Calif.) St. Francis.
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The offer is the latest signal that Mark Pope’s staff is casting a wide and aggressive net this offseason, and targeting players whose trajectories are trending sharply upward. Kamagate fits that profile exactly.
Mark Pope and his coaching staff are hitting the road for the first live recruitment period of the summer, starting first with the Nike EYBL games in Memphis, Tennessee.
Mark Pope and the Kentucky staff are hitting the road for the first live recruiting period of the summer.
With the first game tipping off at noon on Friday, May 15, Kentucky will be keeping its eye on several of the top targets in the 2027 class.
Participants include CJ Rosser, Ryan Hampton, Reese Alston and Chase Lumpkin, the most recent offer. All have been contacted by the Wildcats and heavily pursued up to this point.
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Although no offers for the 2028 class have been set in stone, Kam Mercer is a name of value to watch this weekend as he has visited Kentucky already.
With a pit stop over at the Adidas 3SSB games likely in play this weekend too, these next three days serve as an important opportunity to garnish interest for incoming classes.
With Mo Williams and others making their first trips as members of the staff, the Big Blue Nation can anticipate some life in the freshman recruitment process.
The NBA Draft deadline is fast approaching, and many players with fringe first-round grades are weighing the options of remaining in the draft or returning to college. Obviously, Kentucky’s Malachi Moreno is one such player, but so is Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic.
Following a Zoom call with his representation last week, Mark Pope has firmly placed Kentucky in the race to land Momcilovic’s services, who self-admittedly believes it would be a good fit.
“I think Kentucky would be a good fit,” Momcilovic told the Herald-Leader at the Draft Combine. “I obviously went against Pope at BYU his first year in the Big 12, and I loved how his team played. I think we went 1-1 against them, but they killed us at their place, because they fly the ball up the court and shoot 3s. I really like the way they play.”
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Momcilovic also had a first-hand look at this past year’s Kentucky team, torching the Wildcats for 20 points and sending them home in the Round of 32. He believes he could fill a need that was missing from that team: shooting.
“Kentucky last year, he didn’t have enough shooters around him to really coach, I feel like, the way he wanted,” Momcilovic said. “But I think — if I were to choose Kentucky — that would be a good fit for me. I feel like I’d be a great player for him, and he’d be a good coach for me.”
Momcilovic is considered to be the best shooter in this year’s draft class. Becoming the first men’s basketball player in history to both lead the country in 3-point percentage (48.6%) and make the most 3-pointers (136) in a single season, it’s easy to see why.
The recruiting market for a player like Momcilovic is narrow. At this point in the offseason, few schools have the money remaining in their budget to pay him, expected to receive upward of $4 million, or are able to offer a solidified role. He is aware of that.
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“There’s not a lot of schools that still have a lot of money and a lot of roster spots left,” Momcilovic said. “So it’s not like I’m choosing between 15 schools. It’s going to be three or four.”
Momcilovic confirmed he hasn’t spoken directly with the Kentucky staff yet, putting his full focus on the NBA Draft process, but conversations with his camp have happened.
“I personally haven’t talked to them yet,” he said. “I know some people around me have talked to them. So, they’re in there. I’ll say that. But I’m not really focused on that route right now.”
While tempting, money is not at the forefront of his decision if he returns to college. Instead, he is prioritizing fit, looking to raise his stock in a weaker draft class.
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“I’m not gonna go money hunt for like the top school that offers me the most money,” he said. “So, I mean, obviously, it’s really cool to hear some of those numbers, and it’s tempting. But for me, I don’t need all that. I just need a good spot where I can go.”
Momcilocic still has multiple workouts scheduled with teams ahead of the withdrawal deadline, May 27th. In less than two weeks, with the decisions of Moreno and Momcilovic, Kentucky’s roster and season outlook could look completely different, for better or for worse.
