John Calipari: Shaedon Sharpe plans on returning to Kentucky instead of entering draft

LEXINGTON - Skeptics may have viewed Thursday's news that Kentucky basketball freshman Shaedon Sharpe was likely eligible for the 2022 NBA draft as a sign his UK career would end before it started, but John Calipari says that is not necessarily the case.

"It doesn’t change anything," Kentucky's coach said Friday. "... He plans on being here next year."

ESPN reported Thursday that Sharpe was in fact eligible to apply for early entry into the NBA draft despite an earlier report from the website last year that he was not. Sharpe satisfies the NBA's age requirement (that a player turn 19 in the year of the draft), but there was some question about whether he satisfied the second requirement that a player be a year removed from his high school graduation.

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Originally a member of the class of 2022, Sharpe graduated from Dream City Christian Academy in Arizona early to enroll in classes at UK in January. Since Sharpe enrolled at UK after the 2021-22 NBA season had started, it was initially believed he would not be eligible for the 2022 draft.

Instead, ESPN reported since Sharpe had completed the academic work required to graduate before the season started, he will be eligible to apply for early entry.

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2022 before reclassifying. He is widely projected as a possible top-five pick in the 2022 draft if he leaves UK this spring.

Sharpe enrolled at UK early this month and has been practicing with the team but has not played in a game. Calipari said shortly after Sharpe arrived "there has never been a plan to play him" this season.

"He’s watching," Calipari said Friday. "... If he’s ready to be able to be in games, I’ll put him in. But, he’s a great kid, and he’s doing well, and he’s going to make practices even better."

The plan for Sharpe to only practice this season was presented as a strategy for preparing him to step into a starring role next season, but if he tests the draft waters this spring, he might not return for next season.

Kentucky faced a similar scenario in 2017 after Hamidou Diallo enrolled at UK for the spring semester and elected not to play while practicing with the team in the second half of the 2016-17 season. He then declared for the 2017 draft, waiting until just before midnight on deadline day to announce a return to Kentucky for the 2017-18 season.

Diallo was considered a borderline first-round prospect at the time, unlike Sharpe, who could be a top-10 pick.

Last week in a nod to the chatter about whether Shape will play this season, Calipari joked he would make sure Sharpe was on the court for early warmups as an enticement for fans to arrive to Rupp Arena early for Kentucky's marquee matchup with Tennessee. Late in that blowout, Sharpe got up from the bench like he was going to check in before Calipari sent him back to the bench.

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Sharpe has turned in several impressive dunks in pregame warmups since joining the team but is apparently still working to catchup with a team that has been playing together for several months.

"He has been great," junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe said Friday. "He has been helping us. He’s doing good. Right now, the little problem with him is he does not really know the plays. Coach is just letting him practice with us.

"Whenever Coach thinks he’s ready, I think we’re going to see him throw him in a game this year."

If Sharpe is planning on entering the 2022 draft, there is a clear argument for him not to play in games this year to protect his draft stock. He already was evaluated by NBA scouts in person at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam last summer.

While Calipari said Sharpe's draft eligibility does not affect the decision of whether or not he plays, the Hall of Fame coach ended his comments with a reminder that the draft status has to be part of the equation.

"At the end of the day, you know I’m going to be for the kids," Calipari said. "It’s how I do this."

Email Jon Hale at jahale@courier-journal.com; Follow him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Shaedon Sharpe: Kentucky basketball guard might return for 2022-23