Shaedon Sharpe, the search for a big, and other Kentucky basketball recruiting notes
Kentucky basketball recruit Skyy Clark and his family have had a blast watching the current team on the court this season, but they’re obviously also looking forward to what comes next for the Wildcats.
Clark — a 6-foot-3 point guard — was UK’s first commitment for the 2022 class back in October 2020. It took nearly a full year for the Cats to add to that class, but the positive news came in a hurry once the recruiting gates opened, with five-star prospects Shaedon Sharpe and Chris Livingston picking Kentucky in September and five-star guard Cason Wallace doing the same several weeks later. All four players signed with the Cats in November.
Clark’s father said his family was thrilled with the additions.
“We love it,” Kenny Clark told the Herald-Leader this week. “Obviously, it’s a strong recruiting class, and all of those kids are great players that complement one another.”
Clark’s dad pointed out that UK missed out on a big man in the 2022 cycle — extending scholarship offers to top target Dereck Lively (Duke) and five-star post player Adem Bona (UCLA) — but he doesn’t think that detracted from the group the Kentucky staff has put together. “That changed nothing in our mind. We still feel like we have the best recruiting class in the country, with those four. And they’re going to be ready to leave it all out on the floor next year.”
Sharpe, of course, has already enrolled in classes at Kentucky and joined the team as a practice player (with the possibility that he could play later this season). That move has led the recruiting sites to start shifting him into the 2021 class, which has hurt Kentucky’s overall team ranking. Since Sharpe’s first full season (and maybe his first game, period) will come with the 2022-23 campaign, it’s fair to still mention him as part of this 2022 class.
Without Sharpe in the class, UK ranks No. 8 nationally but has the nation’s best three-player class. If you added him back in, the Cats would move up to No. 2 overall, behind only Duke, which now has six players in its 2022 recruiting class.
Which group is best will be judged on the court next season, but Clark’s father likes the Cats’ outlook.
Kenny Clark said Skyy is looking forward to playing alongside Wallace, another lead guard.
“I think they complement each other, as guards, so well,” he said. “They have a lot of traits that match up. Defensively, those two are going to be hell on the court. Offensively, they complement each other. I think they’re going to play very well together.”
He added that Livingston — a 6-7 wing — is “going to come in and instantly make the team better.”
As far as Sharpe, like other Kentucky fans, Clark’s dad is eagerly anticipating his debut. Kenny Clark got to see the UK newcomer’s showing at the Nike Peach Jam finals — the setting for his ascension to the No. 1 ranking in the 2022 class — and he described his play as “freaking amazing” at the time.
The future Wildcat’s father had no inside information about a possible debut this season.
“I don’t know what to expect,” Clark said. “But what I can tell you is, anytime you bring a player of his caliber in, there’s no hurting the team with that. He can only help. Even if he doesn’t play this year, he’s going to make them better in practice. If he does play, he’s going to make them a top team in the country, and even better than they are right now. You can’t deny his talent.”
Kentucky’s search for a big
The only thing this UK group is missing is that elusive big man.
Kentucky doesn’t appear to be in the mix for five-star center Yohan Traore — the only instant-impact recruit left in the 2022 class — and there are no obvious reclassification candidates for next season.
With Oscar Tshiebwe likely headed to the pros, that would leave Daimion Collins and Lance Ware as the only true bigs on UK’s roster. Collins, a former McDonald’s All-American, has been playing sparingly, but that wasn’t entirely unexpected given his reputation coming in as a high-upside and still-developing prospect. Clark’s dad said he “really hopes” Collins is back next season to play alongside his son.
“He’s such a special player,” he said. “He can go to the NBA Draft whenever he wants to, but if he comes back, that would be amazing.”
A smaller, athletic lineup with Collins at the “5” could be possible at times next season, but if Tshiebwe does leave, the Cats will almost certainly need to look to the transfer portal once again for a frontcourt addition.
Clark’s dad has no worries about a hole in the post when his son gets to campus.
“It’s UK. So you’re probably going to get the best big in the country,” he said with a laugh. “UK will be fine. I promise you.”
Shaedon Sharpe watch
John Calipari has tried to temper expectations around Shaedon Sharpe over the past several weeks, while also leaving the door open for a possible debut this season.
At the end of his weekly radio show Wednesday night, Calipari comically interrupted UK radio announcer Tom Leach’s promo for Saturday’s home game against Tennessee, jumping in with a message to fans.
“Get to the game early,” Calipari declared. “You want to see Shaedon. He’ll be out there with bells on.”
The comment might have been a bit teasing, with Calipari knowing full well how much some in the fan base have been obsessed over Sharpe’s possible debut this season, despite the UK coach saying just last week that he was “a ways away from playing games” and once again stating that the original plan called for him to be a practice player only to finish out this season.
But it’s true that Sharpe will indeed be on the Rupp Arena court Saturday afternoon. He’s expected to be a full participant in UK’s warm-ups, and Leach noted that doors will open to fans at 11:30 a.m. for the 1 p.m. game against No. 22 Tennessee.
Sharpe is one of the most dynamic and athletic amateur basketball players in the country, so — if you’re coming to the game anyway — it’d be a bonus to get to your seats a little earlier than usual and catch him on the court.
UK announced Thursday that Sharpe will wear No. 21 for the Wildcats, the same number worn by Kentucky greats Jack Givens and Tayshaun Prince, among others.
Cam’Ron Fletcher had the number last season for Kentucky, and the only other scholarship player to wear No. 21 during the Calipari era was Perry Stevenson, who played his final season for the Wildcats during Calipari’s first year at UK.
Expectations for Sharpe
Calipari also talked about player expectations on this week’s radio show. He was speaking in broader terms, but listeners wouldn’t be stretching to assume some of his comments were geared toward tamping down the overwhelming buzz surrounding Sharpe.
The UK coach flashed back to TyTy Washington’s college debut against Duke just two months ago. He struggled, to put it nicely. “You could say he was awful,” Calipari said more bluntly Wednesday night. “I asked him to do too much. He wasn’t ready.”
Obviously, Washington is now considered one of the top freshmen in college basketball, a likely NBA lottery pick, and just days removed from setting UK’s all-time, single-game assists record.
Calipari noted that not playing great in games — especially for younger players — is not a bad thing as long as those players keep working and feel like they’re getting better. Breakthroughs on the court can come at any time if the work is put in, something Calipari has often said and reiterated this week. He also talked about the fishbowl nature of Kentucky basketball and the effect that non-basketball stuff — outside expectations, social media, unsolicited opinions — can have on still-developing teenagers.
It was around this time that he mentioned the situation Sharpe, who is still 18 years old, walked into this month.
“Shaedon came into the first game and looked around and was like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is what this is like?’ Shaedon. They’re saying, ‘He’s the No. 1 player in the country’ and da da da,” Calipari said. “He walked in … this is a different deal. Every game we play is someone’s Super Bowl. Every game we play on the road is sold out. …
“It makes it a different deal here. Everybody’s evaluating every move. … It is a big deal, and it’s hard.”
Calipari offered an additional update on Sharpe during his Friday morning press conference.
“He practiced yesterday. He’s going to practice today,” he said. “We’re doing stuff with him. Pace of game — like a normal freshman — the speed, the intensity, the spirit of it, talking more, he’s way behind in those areas. But his skill set and what he does — and he’s comfortable when you put him in different situations — he’s good there.
“But it’s the most important stuff — the speed of the game, the aggressiveness of the game, how hard you have to play and talk. You can’t take possessions off. You just can’t. And, so, he’s learning all that. And we’ll learn it on the run.”
McDonald’s All-Americans
The nominees for the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game were announced Thursday, and all three of the UK recruits still in high school — Skyy Clark, Chris Livingston and Cason Wallace — made the list.
Wallace and Livingston — top-10 national recruits playing for nationally ranked high school teams — are locks to make the final roster. Under normal circumstances, Clark — the No. 16 player in the 2022 composite rankings — would be a lock to make the team, as well, but he has missed nearly all of his senior season due to a knee injury.
Clark returned to the court last week — just six months after surgery for a torn ACL — but, in the past, the McDonald’s selection committee has been hesitant to add players to the team who missed the bulk of the season. We’ll see what happens in Clark’s case.
The McDonald’s All-American teams — 24 boys and 24 girls — will be announced Jan. 25 during ESPN’s NBA Today show, which starts at 3 p.m.
The McDonald’s games will be played March 29 in Chicago.
UK recruits on ESPN
This weekend brings another round of opportunities to see some Kentucky basketball recruits and targets on television.
ESPN Plus will stream four games from the Hoophall Classic on Saturday, with UK signee Chris Livingston playing for Oak Hill (Va.) at 3 p.m., UK signee Skyy Clark and 2023 target Kwame Evans Jr. playing for Montverde (Fla.) at 4:30 p.m., 2023 target Mookie Cook playing for Compass Prep (Ariz.) at 6 p.m., and 2023 target DJ Wagner playing for Camden (N.J.) at 8 p.m.
Evans, Cook and Wagner are all top-five juniors nationally with UK scholarship offers.
On Sunday, UK target Mackenzie Mgbako — another top-five recruit in the 2023 class with a UK offer — will lead Gills St. Bernard’s (N.J.) against former UK target Dereck Lively II and Westtown Academy (Pa.) at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. Cook will then play in the 9 p.m. Sunday game on ESPN2.
The Monday slate will feature Wagner at 1 p.m. and Clark and Evans at 3 p.m., with both of those games on ESPNU.
Reed Sheppard watch
The only Kentucky commitment so far for the 2023 class — North Laurel guard Reed Sheppard — enjoyed one of his best games yet this season earlier in the week, going for 38 points in a 77-65 victory over No. 20 Madison Central to lift the Jaguars to a 13-4 record.
Sheppard is averaging 26.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 56.6 percent from the field, 42.4 percent from three-point range (36 of 85), and 90.4 percent on free throws (85 of 94). Sheppard also regularly has high assist and steal totals, though those stats are not officially logged by the KHSAA.
The future Wildcat will be back in action in a home game against Oneida Baptist Institute at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, and North Laurel will return to the Lexington area next weekend, when the Jags are scheduled to play at Scott County in the Dan Cummins Classic at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 22.
Sheppard’s final regular-season game in Lexington this season will be against Henry Clay in the Jock Sutherland Classic at Lafayette on Feb. 5 at 6 p.m, though he would return for the Sweet Sixteen in Rupp Arena if the Jags can win the 13th Region Tournament.
This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
