Shaedon Sharpe’s Commitment to Kentucky Could Cause a Domino Effect
Throughout his recruitment, Shaedon Sharpe was unabashed about his hands-off approach, leaving the tedious information gathering process to his UPlay Canada coach Dwayne Washington.
Still, in the end, it was Sharpe alone that made the decision to pick Kentucky over Oklahoma State, Arizona, Kansas and the G League Ignite.
In July, just after his visit to Lexington, Sharpe told SI that he walked away feeling like he “could really rock out in their system because of how they operate.”
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Sharpe’s diverse skill set will ensure an immediate impact in Calipari’s dribble-drive offense, which would afford Sharpe the ample freedom to dominate.
At 6-foot-5, Sharpe has freakish athletic ability, with one of the best high-wire acts in the senior class. He doubles as a gifted playmaker, who easily maneuvers into the paint to finish with authority. His blow-by ability is even more effective because defenses can’t allow him room to fire from the perimeter; not when he’s draining threes at a 46% clip, his numbers during Nike EYBL play this past summer.
Sharpe averaged 21.6 points a game, and in his last three games at the Nike Peach Jam, he pumped in 28 points and eight rebounds a game.
This summer’s dominance was a carryover from a dominant season at Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz.) where he averaged 25.4 points, while shooting 45% from the three-point line, and 6.4 rebounds game.
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Sharpe’s 25 points a game was up from just six points a game at Sunrise Christian (Bel Aire, Kan.) during his sophomore season.
His addition will give John Calipari a high-octane backcourt with elite scoring point guard Skyy Clark already in the fold for 2022.
The Wildcats are also in optimal position to land elite combo guard Cason Wallace, though, as of today, he won’t announce until Nov. 7.
The Sharpe domino will likely bode well for Calipari as he tries to reclaim the top spot in the team recruiting rankings after last year’s hiatus.