ESPN analyst: Kentucky’s chemistry a factor as Calipari weighs playing Shaedon Sharpe
Kansas star Ochai Agbaji and Kentucky would-be star Shaedon Sharpe offer an interesting contrast.
Agbaji evolved over four years from being judged as a mid-major prospect to a candidate for national Player of the Year as a senior this season.
Sharpe was the consensus No. 1-rated prospect in the high school class of 2022. He reclassified and joined the UK team at the semester break. He is the subject of much speculation about whether he’ll play at some point this season or any season for Kentucky before going to the NBA.
Of course, there is no one way to become an NBA player.
ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla, who reports on the Big 12 Conference, said that Kansas originally planned for Agbaji to redshirt as a freshman. But injuries depleted the roster and led to Agbaji beginning play in mid-January of 2018-19.
Sharpe is practicing with a UK team blessed with abundant talent and — according to players and coaches — a cohesive all-for-one unity. Kentucky took an 18-4 record and a No. 5 ranking into this weekend’s game at Alabama.
The question becomes: If Sharpe plays, whose minutes does he take?
Fraschilla suggested that UK Coach John Calipari is pondering that question.
“They’re already playing pretty well,” the ESPN analyst said of Kentucky. “They don’t necessarily need to stick a young guy in.”
Calipari has noted repeatedly that Sharpe is challenged with being months behind other players in adjusting to Kentucky’s 2021-22 season, not to mention the college game, not to mention the unblinking scrutiny that comes with being a UK player.
Agbaji was about as anonymous as a player joining a top program can be. He was not rated among the top several hundred prospects, Fraschilla said. Because Agbaji was from Kansas City and so eagerly wanted to play for the Jayhawks, KU Coach Bill Self gave him a scholarship.
“Not knowing he’d turn into this,” Fraschilla said.
Agbaji’s scoring average has increased each season: From 8.5 points per game as a freshman to 20.9 as a senior this season going into this weekend.
“There’s almost a rite of passage to coming in as a role player and becoming a starter and eventually a star,” Fraschilla said.
This evolution was evident on opening night this season when Agbaji — who entered the 2021 NBA Draft and then decided to return to Kansas — scored 29 points as the Jayhawks beat Michigan State before Kentucky lost to Duke in the second game of the Champions Classic.
Fraschilla saw this as a player making a statement.
“It’s my turn. It’s my time,” the ESPN analyst said of the statement he perceived. “I put in the work. . . . I’m supposed to do this.”
ACC documentary
Beginning this coming week, a 10-part, 10-hour documentary on the ACC Tournament will air on the ACC Network the next five Mondays.
Titled The Tournament: A History of ACC Men’s Basketball Presented by New York Life, the series is is produced by Johnathan Hock and John Dahl.
Dahl, who is vice president and executive producer for ESPN Original Content and Special Projects, helped promote the series during a Zoom teleconference this past week.
UK fans might be relieved to know Christian Laettner’s game-winning shot against Kentucky is not part of a documentary devoted solely to the ACC Tournament. Interviews were done with more than 160 people: players, coaches and media members.
“I actually don’t hate Christian Laettner,” said Dahl, who grew up in Maryland and attended the University of North Carolina. “I would always root for the other ACC schools. If Maryland was out, I would root for whoever was left.”
Former Maryland guard John Lucas, the father of UK assistant coach Jai Lucas, is featured prominently in the documentary, Dahl said.
John Lucas has not forgotten a loss to N.C. State in the 1975 ACC Tournament semifinals. He has refused to watch a replay.
“It’s too painful,” Dahl said of a game played 47 years ago. “That says it all. So, John Lucas definitely brings it in this series.”
Episodes will air at 9 and 10 p.m. the next five Mondays on the ACC Network.
Is coaching necessary?
Kansas can claim two of the most iconic figures in basketball history.
James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, started the Kansas program in 1898.
His successor as coach was one of his former players: Forrest “Phog” Allen, for whom the Jayhawks’ home arena is named.
ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla suggested Naismith and Allen had different views of coaching in basketball.
“Dr. Naismith didn’t think the game should be coached,” Fraschilla said. “He thought just play. No coaching strategy.”
Allen thought basketball needed coaching.
Why did Naismith believe coaching was not necessary? Fraschilla cited the man’s background as a professor, educator and most famously from the basketball perspective, director of the Springfield, Mass., YMCA.
Why did Allen believe in coaching? Fraschilla said that perhaps he saw coaching as part of baseball and football.
“Dr. Allen said, we need to coach this and add our two cents to the game,” Fraschilla said. “And that’s kind of why he’s considered the father of modern basketball coaching.
“He was the guy to wear suits on the sideline. Phog’s pupil was Adolph (Rupp). And the rest is history.”
Did you know?
Here are two bits of basketball trivia that might win a bar bet:
Who is the only Kansas coach with a losing record? James Naismith at 55-60.
Who is the winningest coach in Kansas history? Phog Allen with 590 victories. Bill Self, who is 60, is closing in. He had 540 victories as Kansas coach going into Saturday’s game against Baylor.
Dontaie vs. State
What is it about Mississippi State that brings out starburst performances from Dontaie Allen?
After having not scored since November and having played only five minutes in January, Allen scored five points in Kentucky’s 82-74 overtime victory over State on Jan. 25. And after having grabbed only two rebounds since November, he had three against State. He also blocked a shot for the first time since the home opener against Robert Morris on Nov. 12.
Of course, last season, Allen scored a career-high 23 points at State, then did it again against the Bulldogs in the SEC Tournament.
When asked about this history, State Coach Ben Howland said, “Well, we were really ready for him (in the game earlier this month). We explained it to our team.”
Howland suggested Allen be asked about this quirky bit of history. “I’d like to know what his explanation is, to be honest,” the State coach said.
‘Best conference’
Mississippi State Coach Ben Howland saw significance in the SEC winning six of 10 games against Big 12 teams last weekend’s SEC/Big 12 Challenge. He said this showed that the SEC was the best conference.
“And I think that will prove out in the (NCAA) tournament,” he added.
Howland singled out Kentucky’s 80-62 victory at Kansas. “That was awesome,” he said.
Worst loss since . . .
It would be understandable to think Kentucky’s rout of Kansas required a long look to learn the last time the Jayhawks lost by 18 points. And maybe an even longer look to find a more lopsided home loss.
Actually, there was no need to flip more than a page or two in the Kansas basketball history book.
The Jayhawks lost 85-51 to Southern Cal in the second round of last year’s NCAA Tournament (March 22 to be exact).
A more lopsided home loss? Texas won 84-59 at Kansas on Jan. 2, 2021.
Early happy birthday
To John Calipari. The UK coach turns 63 on Thursday.
Happy birthday
To Kareem Watkins. He turned 20 last Thursday. . . . To Malik Monk. He turned 24 on Friday. . . . To Ramel Bradley. “Smooth” turned 37 on Saturday. . . . To Tai Wynyard. He turned 24 on Saturday. . . . To Michigan Coach Juwan Howard. He turns 49 on Monday. . . . To Stanley Roberts, who with Shaquille O’Neal formed a formidable twin towers for LSU. He turns 52 on Monday. . . . To Lance Ware. He turns 21 on Tuesday. . . . To Henry Thomas. He turns 51 on Tuesday. . . . To Winston Bennett. He turns 57 on Wednesday.
This story was originally published February 5, 2022 at 6:30 AM.
