Report: Kentucky's Shaedon Sharpe Eligible for 2022 NBA Draft; Has Yet to Play for UK
January 20, 2022
Top prospect Shaedon Sharpe is reportedly eligible for the 2022 NBA draft after enrolling early at Kentucky, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Kyle Tucker of The Athletic noted this still doesn't change his status:
Kyle Tucker @KyleTucker_ATHShaedon Sharpe being eligible for the next NBA draft is not news to Kentucky. It’s not a new development. It’s something neither Sharpe’s camp nor UK wanted out because of all the speculation it would create. As of today, whether he plays this year or not, he plans to stay at UK.
Sharpe was part of the class of 2022 until graduating before the start of the NBA season in October. He enrolled at Kentucky in January, although he is yet to play for the Wildcats.
The 6'5" guard told Jason Jordon of Sports Illustrated that his plan was to redshirt the 2021-22 season and play for Kentucky next season.
If he does declare for the upcoming draft, ESPN lists Sharpe as the No. 6 prospect in the class.
Sharpe was initially considered the No. 1 prospect in the 2022 class but is now listed as No. 3 in the 2021 class behind only Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero, per 247Sports composite rankings.
While Homgren and Banchero have each showed their upside on the court this season, Kentucky coach John Calipari indicated Sharpe is unlikely to play this year despite being eligible.
"He's a ways away from playing games," Calipari told reporters earlier this month. "It may be a year from now. They all know. I talked to them. We don’t have a plan for him to play this year. Maybe he does, but that is not the plan and never has been."
If he did enter the draft, it would leave NBA scouts to make their evaluations based on past high school performance at Dream City Christian in Arizona as well as AAU competition.