By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky coach John Calipari has no regrets about not playing heralded freshman Shaedon Sharpe this season.
“At one point, he and I sat down and talked about it,” Calipari said. “But you know, I think that was what was best for him is how we did it.”
Even though Sharpe never played a minute of college basketball, he is considered one of the top prospects in this year’s NBA Draft. Following Kentucky’s stunning loss to Saint Peter’s in the NCAA Tournament last Thursday in Indianapolis, Calipari said Sharpe had the skills necessary to compete at the collegiate level, but needed time to catch up with the rest of the team.
“Would he have been a good player this year? Yeah, he’d have been pretty good,” the Kentucky coach said. “But he joined us midseason. Trying to get him up to all the stuff that we were doing was hard. Then it came a point late, maybe we could have him in there. We just, you know, together, chose, let’s just wait.”
Sharpe last played on the Nike EYBL circuit in 2021 and averaged 22.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He made 36 percent of his shots from long range. He has also played for his native Canada in the FIBA youth events.
One of Sharpe’s teammates — Damion Collins — has announced his intentions to return for a second season. Collins, TyTy Washington and Bryce Hopkins were the three freshmen on this year’s squad. Washington was a major contributor, while Collins and Hopkins each made their contributions off the bench. Calipari said Collins and Hopkins could have “played just about anywhere in the country” this season but opted to stick it out with the Wildcats.
“They (were) behind players that are playing better than them (this year),” Calipari said. “Because they’re so young, they (were) playing on a team of older players that are more prepared than them, and they (came) every day to get better. They (understood) the grind of this.”
The team’s veteran player, Keion Brooks, who will be a senior next year if he chooses to return for a fourth season, has enjoyed the rollercoaster ride he’s endured since he joined the Wildcats.
“My tenure here has been a little funky and difficult, a little different, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” he said. “Coming here, I’ve learned a lot beyond being a basketball player, but coach Cal has done a great job of shaping me into a better man and, that being said, I don’t regret anything that I’ve been through as long as I’ve been here.”
Oscar Tshiebwe, a National Player of the Year candidate, along with Hopkins, Dontaie Allen, and Washington haven’t yet announced their future plans.
Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today. Reach him at keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com and via twitter at keithtaylor21.