Five-star Canadian guard Shaedon Sharpe announced Tuesday he will play for Kentucky over Arizona and the G League.
And I rock Kentucky Blue 😼🔵⚪️ COMMITTED! @KentuckyMBB #bbn #mytoolbox pic.twitter.com/YedAGBFyhq
— Shaedon Sharpe (@ShaedonSharpe) September 7, 2021
A 6-foot-5-inch guard from London, Ontario, who now plays for Glendale Dream City, Sharpe visited both Arizona and Kentucky late last month before making his decision. He had also been considering Kansas and Oklahoma State but canceled planned visits with them but held a Zoom call with G League officials on Sept 2.
In an Aug. 8 story posted to ESPN’s website, Sharpe said he would make a decision in consultation with Dwayne Washington, the director of his travel club, Uplay Canada, shortly after finishing his visits.
“I’m 100% open to all options right now,” Sharpe told ESPN. “I want to see what all of them have to offer."
Shape's stock shot up this summer while playing for Uplay Canada on the Nike Eybl circuit. According to Rivals.com, Sharpe averaged 21.6 points per game on 44.4% 3-point shooting during the first week and 24 points, 6.6 rebounds, and three assists on 47.5% 3-point shooting while playing for Uplay Canada. His 21.6 points-per-game average ranked third overall in the event.
Afterward, Rivals.com placed Sharpe atop its 2022 player rankings.
Ranking Sharpe No. 1 is “not really a question in my mind because of the smooth way he creates and makes shooting opportunities,” Rivals.com analyst Jamie Shaw wrote. “Sharpe has a natural explosion with a handle that gets him to his spots, and the ability to pull up from 28 feet. … It is easy to see his game translate from level to level, and it showed against the nation’s best.”
Rivals.com recruiting director Rob Cassidy wrote that Sharpe’s Peach Jam performance “put an exclamation point on a massive grassroots season,” justifying the move up the rankings.
“He boasts a tight handle, a quick jumper and defends relatively well positionally,” Cassidy wrote. “But it’s his explosiveness and ability to get to the bucket that makes him special.”
ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony noted that Sharpe was “almost a complete unknown a year ago” before his fast rise this summer.
“Always noted for his NBA prototype frame and highlight-reel-caliber dunks and blocks, Sharpe ramped up his aggressiveness substantially the past few months, while showing significant improvement as a passer, creator and shooter in the half-court,” Givony wrote.
Sharpe told ESPN the difference was that Uplay Canada put him in a position to make plays and showcase himself on the EYBL circuit, which concludes in the Peach Jam.
While Sharpe is ranked No. 6 in 247Sports.com rankings, Hoop Seen and On3 have also moved him into the No. 1 spot for the class of 2022.
“He’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever covered,” tweeted Justin Young, analyst and editor of Hoop Seen. “What a year it’s been for him.”
On July 28, Sharpe posted a top 10 of Kentucky, Arizona, Oklahoma, Oregon, Alabama, Kansas, Oklahoma State, USC, Texas and ASU. Ten days later, he announced a top five of Arizona, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Kansas and the G League.
Sharpe then opted to make final visits only to Arizona and Kentucky while meeting with G League officials virtually.
Sharpe is one of only four players the Wildcats had offered scholarships to in the class of 2022, along with guard Jaden Bradley of Rochester, New York, and IMG Academy; Collin Chandler of Farmington, Utah; and Gilbert Perry High School forward Dylan Anderson, who committed to UA in April.
