Shaedon Sharpe
Tuesday morning Kentucky coach John Calipari was asked what he thought had created so much momentum for UK recruiting compared to recent seasons when the Cats seemed to miss out on top players and targets.
Calipari’s response: “I think we’ve had the No. 1 or 2 class every time I’ve been here.”
He got a big boost on having either a No. 1 or 2 class again a few hours later when Canadian guard Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 1 player in the 2022 recruiting class, verbally committed to Kentucky.
“The kids that we’re talking to, most cases have said their dream was to play here for me. We’ve just got to hope that they’re not talked out of it,” Calipari said Tuesday morning before knowing Sharpe would commit and stick to his dream of playing at Kentucky.
If Sharpe stays No. 1, he will be the first No. 1 player Calipari has signed since Skal Labissiere in 2015. He had been viewed as a Kentucky “lock” for months but the NBA G League made a strong run at him in recent weeks.
Canadian guard Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 1-ranked prospect in the high school class of 2022 according to Rivals and ESPN, committed to Kentucky Tuesday over finalists Arizona, Oklahoma State, Kansas, and the NBA G League.
If Sharpe retains his No. 1 spot in the Rivals and ESPN rankings through the end of the 2022 cycle, he would be the first prospect ranked as the top player in the class by any of the major services to sign with Kentucky since Skal Labissiere in 2015.
Kentucky already had a commitment from guard Skyy Clark and is expected to also land guard Cason Wallace. That would give UK three top 15 guards in the 2022 recruiting class. All are five-star players.
Recruiting analysts love Sharpe’s explosive ability. He has developed into a very, very good 3-point shooter and both his passing skills and defense are undervalued.
The good news for Kentucky fans is that he will be playing at Marshall County Hoopfest Dec. 2-5 and McCracken County Mustang Madness Jan. 6-9
