Florida Man: Kentucky's Shaedon Sharpe quandary
To play or redshirt a five-star, mid-year arrival that reigned as the top player in the country before a reclassification is an extremely Kentucky question. These are the types of issues that only present themselves to blueblood programs. And while it’s certainly a good problem as far as problems go, it still carries a sack full of consequence.
The original plan was for Shaedon Sharpe to arrive in Lexington at semester and redshirt this season while he learned the Wildcats’ system and adjusted to life as a college player. But with Sharpe set to begin practicing with Kentucky in the coming days, UK head coach John Calipari hasn’t ruled out the possibility of plugging his newest five-star guard into the rotation this season in an effort to give his team the extra boost it needs to kick in the door to the national title picture.
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Fact or Fiction: Big 12 is the best conference in college basketball
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Rivals150
2024 Rankings: Top 40
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The fact that C.J. Fredrick is out for the season and the hot-and-cold nature of Davion Mintz make getting the ultra-talented Sharpe minutes at a guard spot seem like a no-brainer on the surface. But dropping anyone, regardless of talent, into a rotation mid-season comes with some risk. Locker rooms are living, breathing ecosystems that are easily disrupted. There are sets to learn rotations to master. Confidence is a fickle trait, and having your young star struggle to get up to speed and meet lofty expectations while the entire basketball world watches is a good way to mess with it.
Look, nobody expects Shape, a legitimate pro prospect, to struggle in the SEC, but it’s certainly not out of the question if he’s asked to take on too much too quickly.
Imagine the conversation if Sharpe’s first half season in college doesn't go as planned. If the five-star guard decides he was mishandled. Non-NBA pro options and the transfer portal provide a quick escape route and the potential for things to blow up in Kentucky’s Big Blue face. Is anyone expecting such a thing to happen? Of course not.
But is it possible?
In the current college sports landscape? You bet.
Anyway, the decision is one I’m glad I don’t have to make. Calipari is certainly smart and seasoned enough to understand the enormity of the choice. Things will likely boil down to a simple internal question for the legendary head coach: Is Sharpe enough to make this Kentucky team a legitimate player to win a national title?
Calipari won’t have to answer that question verbally, as his thoughts on the subject will be crystal clear in the month ahead.
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WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO
... I’m off to the Baltimore area this weekend for the R1A Classic, an event that will feature teams and prospects from all over the country. There’s plenty to be excited about when it comes to the event, but nothing more than getting eyes on Hillcrest Prep’s Jason Asemota, a 2024 prospect I’ve not seen live to this point. We took a little flack for not including Asemota in our initial ranking of the top 40 sophomores in America, and the film and stats I’ve seen certainly suggest he belongs there. I’ll be courtside as the buzzed-about prospect plays two games against stiff competition.
... Five-star guard Zion Cruz will also take the floor at the event as his Donda Academy team is set to play a pair of games, and I’m interested in what the uncommitted 2022 prospect has to say as it relates to his recruitment. Once considered a North Carolina lean, Cruz is now considering Georgia, Auburn, Memphis and Xavier. A decision should be coming soon, so this weekend will provide a timely check in on where things stand.
... Class of 2023 standout Jahnthan Lamothe is a 6-foot-4, do-everything guard that blew up a bit during the summer’s live period, collecting offers from schools such as Maryland, DePaul, Illinois and LSU. We haven’t gotten eyes on him since July, however, so he provides intrigue. His St. Frances Academy team will take on a loaded Donda Academy squad in Saturday’s night cap, and there’s no better stage for Lamothe to back up his No. 44 ranking.