Friday Headlines: Shaedon Sharpe Edition

Will Sharpe ever play for the Wildcats?

By John Morgan Francis@MonJorgan Jan 21, 2022, 6:40am EST

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The morning after Kentucky put together a comeback win at Texas A&M was not so great for Big Blue Nation.

While Wildcats fans woke up in a great mood, they soon learned that No. 1 prospect and recently enrolled Shaedon Sharpe is now eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft.

Shaedon Sharpe is Draft Eligible in 2022 & that news has raised two burning questions for the Kentucky fanbase.

1. Will he play this season?
2. Will he suit up in 2022-23?

Unfortunately for the BBN, it doesn't appear likely. || Story: https://t.co/yjjG6XALnH pic.twitter.com/ge3pP6fbif
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) January 20, 2022

After reclassifying and enrolling early, many wondered if Sharpe would still end up being eligible for this summer’s draft. However, that had just been speculation until Thursday afternoon.

Kentucky’s early ups and downs combined with Sharpe already being on campus brought on the debate if the young talent should play this season. While the idea seems like a dream for Kentucky, making it a reality isn’t as easy.

Sharpe would enter the season in the middle of conference play with only a limited amount of games left in the season. He would also run the risk of a major injury or the possibility of depleting his draft stock.

However, another angle shows that playing this year could bring on incredible opportunities for Sharpe. In addition to chances at sizable NIL deals, Sharpe could give Kentucky an extra boost towards contending for a national championship while also potentially increase his draft stock.

In full transparency, it seems doubtful that Sharpe plays this season. His current stock is through the roof, and there isn’t any urgency to ruin that. While there’s the slight chance that a NIL deal blows him away or he decides that he wants to physically be a part of Kentucky’s run at another championship banner, it just doesn’t seem probable that he’ll play this season.

So, with this year out of the way and Sharpe’s draft stock appearing to be relatively high, that then raises the question if he will leave this summer instead of suiting up for Kentucky in the fall.

Thursday’s news wasn’t what Kentucky was hoping for, but is what it is. With or without Sharpe on the court, the Wildcats appear to be in the midst of another quality year under head coach John Calipari.

Next up — a road trip to No. 2 Auburn on Saturday.

Tweet of the Day:

Penny Hardaway's answer to if he can get the job done at Memphis.

"Stop asking me stupid f***ing questions about if I feel like I can do something. If I had my roster like they did, then I feel like I can do whatever I want to do." pic.twitter.com/WA79u6Y7bc
— Cassie Carlson (@CassieCarlsonTV) January 21, 2022