Report: Shaedon Sharpe makes surprising NBA Draft decision

Shaedon Sharpe’s future has been a hot topic this offseason for Kentucky. We might get our answer Tuesday — but with a twist.

Sharpe is expected to announce he’s entering the NBA Draft while also maintaining his college eligibility, according to 247Sports’ Travis Branham. That’s an interesting move, especially considering he could be a projected lottery pick.

In ESPN’s latest Mock Draft on April 6, Sharpe came in as the No. 6 overall pick to the Portland Trail Blazers. Other mock drafts list him as a top-10 pick, as well, after spending this season with Kentucky. However, he didn’t play at all.

Sharpe was originally recruited as part of the 2022 recruiting class, but re-classified to the class of 2021 and enrolled in January. Still, he ended up as the No. 4 recruit in the nation, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Kentucky coach John Calipari decided not to play him at all, even in the NCAA Tournament, where the No. 2-seeded Wildcats lost to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s in the first round.

“At one point, he and I sat down and talked about it,” Calipari said. “But I think that was best for him, how we did it. Would he have been a good player? He’d have been pretty good but he joined us midseason.”

But the rules require Sharpe to be at least a year out of high school before declaring for the draft, meaning he can still test the waters even without official college experience. Calipari sounded like he was preparing for Sharpe to enter the draft, but still held out hope about a potential return. Since he’s reportedly maintaining his eligibility, a return can’t be entirely ruled out.

“Well, we sat down and talked to him,” Calipari said on his final radio show, via KSR’s Jack Pilgrim. “You know, I talked to him and I talked to his mom and dad. I think he’s got to explore, but he’s got to 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, or where people are saying?’

“As you go through the process, this information comes back from the NBA. Not an agent or anybody else around you, it comes from the NBA. You have a better idea of what everything is. And until these kids all get that information, it’s hard.”