John Calipari on Shaedon Sharpe: "This kid comes back, he's the No. 1 draft pick"

On Monday, John Calipari broke the news that Shaedon Sharpe will not play this season for Kentucky. Instead, Calipari said that Sharpe, already a projected top-10 draft pick, will spend the rest of the season helping the team in practice and preparing to lead the 2022-23 Wildcats.

Naturally, Calipari was asked about Sharpe’s decision following Kentucky’s 86-76 win over South Carolina. He gave reporters some insight behind it and doubled down on the benefits of Sharpe staying at Kentucky for another year, going as far as to say that if he does, he could be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

“I had talked to the family and Shaedon and we talked it over. I said, ‘Has anything changed?’ I said, ‘Because we’ve got to make sure this doesn’t become a story because it doesn’t need to be.’ And the family said, ‘Look. He was going there to practice, to sit out, and get ready for the following year.’ And I said, ‘Well, has it changed?’ I said, ‘Why don’t you guys sleep on it and if it’s changed, let’s talk about it but if it hasn’t changed, I’m just going to say it hasn’t changed.’

“It is what it is. I know everybody will say, ‘Well, he isn’t coming,’ Yeah, well anybody can say anything. This kid comes back, he’s the No. 1 draft pick. In my mind, he’s the No. 1 draft pick. How can I say I know what the No. 1 draft pick looks like? BECAUSE I’VE HAD FOUR. That’s why I can say what it looks like. He can be the No. 1 draft pick.

“You know what? Would he be ready to go this year? Someone would take him and say we’re going to get you ready but playing in the NBA is a man’s league. Going through the gauntlet at Kentucky gets you ready to succeed. His family knows it. He knows it. He knows it. He said the attention to detail here, he’s never seen anything like it. Well, guess what? When you move up, it’s even more so. But he’s a great kid. I love coaching this kid. I do. Love coaching him.”

What about the 2022 NBA Draft?

Will Sharpe test the waters for the 2022 NBA Draft? When asked, Calipari — always a players-first coach — seemed fine with it. If Sharpe gets a top-five guarantee? Well, then they’d need to sit down and talk.

“We haven’t gone that far but I don’t see any reason not to but again, if someone in this draft would take him No. 1, 2, 3, say, well, we’ll take him No. 5. If someone guarantees me that they’re going to do it — and they won’t lie because I won’t let them back in our gym — so if someone is saying we’re going to do this, then you’ve got to sit down and talk. And I’m never — will he test the waters? He may not. He may say, ‘Coach, I am not ready.’ I can remember players where I said, are you think about, why wouldn’t you go and you could be drafted in this. ‘I’m not ready. I’m not ready.’ So, we don’t know yet.”