John Calipari anticipates 'one or two' additions in '24; throws shot at Shaedon Sharpe?
Shaedon Sharpe became Kentucky’s first none-and-done under John Calipari. He committed to the Wildcats in September, enrolled in January and magically found the paperwork to be eligible for the draft in June. The former five-star once guaranteed he’d return after his redshirt season to play the following year.
He’d be selected No. 7 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2022 NBA Draft with zero games played in Lexington.
Sharpe’s unfortunate situation has been thrown back in Calipari’s face ever since. Taking him and his camp for their word got Kentucky burned. Now every injury question or eligibility concern is met with skepticism — a caller asked if Aaron Bradshaw and Zvonimir Ivisic would follow in Sharpe’s footsteps during Cal’s radio show Monday evening.
(A firm no, in case you were curious.)
Then Swaggy Calipari broke through when talking about Kentucky’s second-ranked recruiting class in 2024, one consisting of four signees. The ultimate prize? Five-star forward Jayden Quaintance, who is listed as the No. 4 overall prospect among current seniors.
Just 16 years old, the 6-10, 240-pound big man out of Cleveland does not meet the age requirements for the 2025 NBA Draft. That means Kentucky gets him for not one, but two seasons, at minimum.
Maybe that makes up for the Shaedon Sharpe debacle? Calipari responds to a none-and-done with a two-and-through.
“The four guys we’ve signed are terrific players. Jayden Quaintance, he has to stay in school two years. Talking Shaedon Sharpe? This kid’s got to stay two years. Can’t leave,” Calipari said Monday. “When I watched him, I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ His dad reclassed him, he’s 16. Just turned 16. At 6-10, 240, and the skills he has, he can play like we’re playing Tre (Mitchell).”
As for Kentucky’s three other signees, Calipari likes how the pieces fit together. You’ve got shooting, scoring and size to go with Quaintance’s otherworldly versatility.
“Somto (Cyril) is just, come on. Talk about another guy that’s played five years, but he’s a monster. A rim-runner, an offensive rebounder, a shot-blocker, all of those things,” Calipari said. “And Boogie (Fland), he’s that dynamic winner. Winning state titles, gold medals, all of that. Other players want to play with him. You also have Travis Perry — he’s the guy that’s going to be able to make shots. You know what he’ll do.”
Curious about what’s next? You may not have to wait long. Calipari says Kentucky is expecting a few more pledges in the 2024 class before long.
“We’ll probably have one or two more commit here in a while,” he said.
The Wildcats are in heavy pursuit of the likes of Billy Richmond and VJ Edgecombe. Could they be next up for the program?
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