Update 2
Kentucky Wildcats Head coach John Calipari has now released a statement regarding Sheldon Sharp announcing NBA Draft.
“Chedon and his family have told me he intends to put his name on the draft while retaining his eligibility, and they have my full support to test the process just as every player does,” Calipari said in a press release. “Shaedon has been a great teammate and has approached everything that comes with being a college student athlete the way it should.
“Since he arrived on our campus, he has been an integral part of our program and has already been enrolled in the summer and fall semesters, but we support this decision to explore each option and make the best decision for his future based on all the information he has been able to obtain.”
Again, just assume Sharpe is committed to the NBA until a legitimate person says otherwise.
Update
Shydon Sharp Officially Announced 2022 NBA DraftHowever, he maintains his university eligibility for the time being.
Unless something changes drastically, just expect him to stay on the draft.
One of John Calipari’s most polarizing situations seems to have come to an end.
Kentucky Wildcats She will enter goalkeeper Shaydon Sharp in 2022 NBA Draft And he gave up his university eligibility, according to multiple media reports.
This comes after reports that Sharp may not be eligible to enroll after waiting so long to graduate, but it turns out he did so last May. This means that there is at least a full year between his graduation and the enlistment he enters, so this year it’s good to go.
Despite not playing a minute of Wildcat, Sharpe, who will turn 19 a few days before the draft, is still expected to be in the top 10 by most reputable sources.
When you put it that way, it becomes very hard to question his decision knowing that it will bring him millions of dollars from a team investing in his future.
Kentucky freshman Siddon Sharp will announce the 2022 NBA draft, and she will stay, team sources and Tweet embed. NBA teams draft Sharpe as a high-probability lottery pick.
Shams Charania April 21, 2022
The flip side argues that with another year of development and exposure in Kentucky, Shaedon Sharpe could be a legitimate first-choice contender in the 2023 NBA Draft, making it a smart financial decision to come back.
Both sides of the spectrum split a slew of Blue Nation this season once Sharpe joined the team in the second semester in early January.
Prior to January, most were operating under the impression that Sharpe would not be eligible to participate in the next NBA draft, locking his commitment to play in the UK for the 2022-2023 season.
Camp Sharp told KSR in October that he was not a fifth-year student. There was no doubt, he said, he left Dream City because he was ready for the challenge in Kentucky.
Documents now appear magically indicating his graduation in May 2021.
Kentucky is not responsible here.
– Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) April 21, 2022
Then reports began to emerge that Sharpe would indeed be old enough and qualified for the 2022 NBA Draft, prompting John Calipari to make these comments on January 21.
“No, it doesn’t change anything. He plans to be here next year.” Calipari said. “He’s watching. Whether I’m playing with him or not this year, if he’s up for the games I’ll get him in. But he’s a great kid. He’s doing well. He’ll make practices better. He’s only been here for two weeks. At the end of the day, you know I’m I’ll be for the kids. That’s how I do this.”
A few weeks later on February 8th, Calipari completely shut down the speculation by informing the college basketball world that Shydon Sharp would definitely not play for Kentucky this season.
After speaking with Shaydon and his parents, we want to end all speculation by saying once again that he will not play with us this season.
He is committed to improving himself and our team in practice this year and better preparing to lead us next season.
– John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) February 7 2022
Many fans were perfectly fine to let an exceptional talent like Shaydon Sharp sit on the bench, even if it only meant his presence as coaching staff and eventual British brand ambassador in the NBA.
Others have taken a stand by reminding John Calipari that the University of Kentucky is not an NBA preparatory academy, it is a multi-story program that puts winning basketball games above all else.
No matter where you stand, you can still wish Sharp the best of luck in his next professional career while also acknowledging the fact that his loss to the NBA was before he was fit to play for Kentucky.
If nothing else, the warm-ups were even more exciting with Sharpe on the menu.
We hope everyone is trying to swallow any negativity they may have about how the situation turned out and we wish him the best as he transitions to professional basketball. I am confident that Big Blue Nation will support him and support him wherever he goes in the NBA.
Good luck to Sharp as he heads to the pros!
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