What Portland Trailblazers fans can expect from Kentucky practice player Shaedon Sharpe

LEXINGTON — Shaedon Sharpe’s gamble paid off.

Announced as Kentucky basketball’s to start with assortment in the 2022 NBA draft even with never ever enjoying a recreation for the Wildcats, Sharpe was picked at No. 7 in general by the Portland Trailblazers in the initial spherical Thursday.

Sharpe, previously rated as the No. 1 prospect in the substantial university course of 2022 right before reclassifying to graduate a semester early and enroll at Uk in January, and Kentucky mentor John Calipari insisted during the spring semester although Sharpe was practicing with the group that the prepare was for him to redshirt in preparation for using on a starring position for Kentucky future season. Even after injuries decimated Kentucky’s backcourt depth late in the time, Sharpe and Calipari trapped to that system.

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Canadian then declared for the draft in April when leaving open up the probability of a return to Kentucky irrespective of various nationwide studies that he had presently produced up his thoughts to stay in the draft. On Might 31, the eve of the deadline for higher education gamers to eliminate their names from the draft, Sharpe confirmed he was beginning a skilled career.

Kentucky basketball: Why John Calipari may well have to wait around in his press for facility updates

“Situation adjusted,” Calipari mentioned the day just before Sharpe’s remaining announcement. “Now, for me, I want to coach the child, I want him again at Kentucky, but if he’s a prime-10 decide on and he’s your son, it’s a really hard one particular. … If he’s a best-10 select, 8 select, 7, it is not that tough (of a decision). I just never want our fans to be mad at him for doing some thing he probably has to do if that’s the case.”

Why did Shaedon Sharpe not enjoy for Kentucky?

When Sharpe arrived at Kentucky halfway by means of the 2021-22 time it made sense to keep him on the sideline contemplating he wanted time to find out the Wildcats’ method as very well as adapt to the physical difficulties of faculty basketball. Since Kentucky was cruising at the time — the Wildcats’ best earn came in a blowout at Kansas at the conclusion of January — there was minor motive to drive him into the rotation.

Story proceeds

Sharpe’s mentor, his former AAU mentor Dwyane Washington, was specifically insistent that Sharpe was only training in purchase to assistance him get ready for subsequent time at Kentucky.

“Why would he arrive to Kentucky — transform absent $1 million in the G League, $2 million in endorsements, follow 3 several hours a working day — to sit on the bench? You arrive for advancement,” Washington informed the Lexington Herald-Leader in January soon after studies 1st surfaced that Sharpe would be eligible for the 2022 draft. “Here’s the point that folks have to fully grasp: all people is not making an attempt to rush to a thing that they are not ready for.

“He’s expecting to engage in following yr. Almost nothing is new here.”

Calipari publicly flirted with the strategy of enjoying Sharpe in early February — going as considerably as to say the other Uk gamers preferred Sharpe to engage in — right before announcing on Feb. 7 he was sticking with the original system for Sharpe only to exercise with the team. That strategy did not adjust even as all three of Kentucky’s starting up guards ended up hampered by injuries down the stretch.

United kingdom basketball: Can offensive sport match Cason Wallace’s defensive function?

After Kentucky’s time-ending reduction to No. 15-seed Saint Peter’s in the 1st spherical of the NCAA Event, Calipari was asked by the Courier Journal if he experienced reconsidered enjoying Sharpe immediately after the injuries started to mount.

“At a person stage, he and I sat down and talked about it,” Calipari mentioned. “But you know, I feel that was what was ideal for him is how we did it. Would he have been a good participant this yr? Yeah, he’d been very very good. He’d have been rather great. But he joined us midseason. Attempting to get him up to all the stuff that we ended up performing was challenging.

“Then it arrived a position late, perhaps we could, must have him in there. We just, you know, jointly, chose, let us just hold out.”

What are anticipations for Shaedon Sharpe in the NBA?

There is no better thriller in the 2022 draft pool due to the fact Sharpe has not performed in a aggressive game considering the fact that the starting of the 2021-22 high school time. NBA scouts did get a chance to see him engage in in human being in the course of the 2021 Nike EYBL year, all through which he averaged 22.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 helps for each video game.

“Shaedon can do every thing,” explained former Kentucky teammate Sahvir Wheeler, the two-time Southeastern Convention chief in assists for every video game. “Shaedon is a wonderful teammate. … He was the very first just one to celebrate with us, and he was also the initial a single there to pick us up when a little something went completely wrong. It hardly ever felt like he wasn’t a component of the team. Even when he came in in December or whatever it was, it felt like he was there the whole yr. Which is how excellent of a teammate he was.

“On the courtroom, he’s a freaky athlete, silly athletic. He can cope with it, he can shoot the ball in any state of affairs, coming off pin-downs, catch-and-shoot, building shots for himself. He’s unselfish. He’s not as excellent of a passer as me, but he’s undoubtedly unselfish and he’s keen to make the suitable play.”

Kentucky Wildcats: Chris Livingston could be the key X-variable for British isles future year. Here is why

A absence of self esteem does not show up to be a issue immediately after the very long layoff from participating in in online games.

“I see myself being 1 of the biggest players to ever perform the recreation of basketball,” Sharpe explained in pre-draft interviews.

Email Jon Hale at [email protected] Comply with him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ. 

This write-up originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Shaedon Sharpe: Trailblazers pick Kentucky guard in NBA draft