Sharpe’s path adds ‘mystery’

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Speaking for the first time — really, ever — to a large group of reporters, former No. 1 basketball recruit and would-be Kentucky player Shaedon Sharpe talked mostly about his future in a June 17 conference call ahead of the NBA draft.

Thursday night’s draft in New York ended too late for this edition.

Sharpe did, however, reflect briefly on the last few months. Asked by the Lexington Herald-Leader if he had any regrets about his unorthodox stint in Lexington, the 19-year-old seemed OK with the way the situation worked out.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Sharpe said. “So I really don’t regret (not) playing. I worked out for NBA teams. So I guess I did something right.”

Indeed, Sharpe spent the last few weeks giving NBA decision-makers some up-close looks at his potential. He worked out for at least six teams.

Sharpe thought those sessions went well. He also put no cap on his expectations moving forward.

“I see myself being one of the greatest players to ever play,” he said. “... One of my goals coming in as a rookie is being rookie of the year. That’s one of the goals. And then, All-Star. And later on, Hall of Fame.”

Sharpe was ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class before he decided to enroll in classes at Kentucky a semester early, joining the Wildcats during the middle of the season in January.

After some back and forth on whether he would play right away, Sharpe ultimately sat out the remainder of the 2021-22 season. He practiced with the team and went through pregame warm-ups on the Rupp Arena court but didn’t appear in any games.

It was a decision that didn’t sit well with a vocal portion of the Kentucky fan base, though it wasn’t clear throughout the process who was calling the shots on Sharpe’s status.

For much of Sharpe’s time with the program, Kentucky coacy John Calipari expressed publicly that he fully expected the star guard to return to Lexington for the 202223 campaign and become a key component of the Wildcats’ roster. At the same time, there were plenty of rumblings in recruiting circles that Sharpe would test the NBA draft waters and, most likely, keep his name in the 2022 draft.

Obviously, that’s what happened, with Sharpe announcing the day before the draft withdrawal deadline that he would leave Kentucky without ever playing a game for the Wildcats. He said last week that his thought process while in Lexington was focused on getting better.

“So I was just in the gym every day, working out,” he said. “Really, for me, whatever happened would happen, and I’d be ready for it.”

Sharpe’s unique circumstances — basically jumping from high school to the NBA with no actual basketball in between — have been the subject of myriad draft thinkpieces over the last couple of months.

“I feel like there is mystery,” Sharpe said. “Just because I haven’t played for about a year now. The last game was high school. ... But, like I said before, I’m just in the gym. Getting ready.”

GETTY FILE NBA draft prospect Shaedon Sharpe was the top college recruit in the Class of 2022 and enrolled at Kentucky in January. But he never played for the Wildcats.