Shaedon Sharpe

Not playing for Kentucky basketball did not prevent Shaedon Sharpe from being selected early in the 2022 NBA draft.

He’s not as good of a passer as me, but he’s definitely unselfish and he’s willing to make the right play." Even when he came in in December or whatever it was, it felt like he was there the whole year. "Why would he come to Kentucky — turn away $1 million in the G League, $2 million in endorsements, practice three hours a day — to sit on the bench? ... He was the first one to celebrate with us, and he was also the first one there to pick us up when something went wrong. NBA scouts did get a chance to see him play in person during the 2021 Nike EYBL season, during which he averaged 22.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. When Sharpe arrived at Kentucky midway through the 2021-22 season it made sense to keep him on the sideline considering he needed time to learn the Wildcats' system as well as adapt to the physical challenges of college basketball. ... If he’s a top-10 pick, 8 pick, 7, it’s not that hard (of a decision). I just don’t want our fans to be mad at him for doing something he probably has to do if that’s the case." On May 31, the eve of the deadline for college players to remove their names from the draft, Sharpe confirmed he was starting a professional career. "Now, for me, I want to coach the kid, I want him back at Kentucky, but if he’s a top-10 pick and he’s your son, it’s a hard one. That plan did not change even as all three of Kentucky's starting guards were hampered by injuries down the stretch. You come for development,” Washington told the Lexington Herald-Leader in January after reports first surfaced that Sharpe would be eligible for the 2022 draft. Even after injuries decimated Kentucky's backcourt depth late in the season, Sharpe and Calipari stuck to that plan.

Follow our live coverage of NBA Draft 2022. Back when John Calipari was still holding out hope — even in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary ...

But then he pulled a surprise, announcing in November that he planned to enroll early at Kentucky, practice with the team but not play in the second half of last season, then lead the Cats as a redshirt freshman. A shy, quiet young man, he happily let others do the talking for him while he was at Kentucky, which actually afforded him some cover. The last time anyone saw him play competitively against other high-level prospects was on the Nike EYBL circuit in the summer of 2021, and Sharpe was terrific. The lack of actual five-on-five basketball he played in the pre-draft process since then only added to the uncertainty. The last game was high school, so I feel like there is curiosity and mystery for me. But you understand why he felt like he had to go, so at this point you’ve just gotta root for him and wish him the best. Maybe a future star, or maybe a guy who was afraid to play and expose himself for a reason. Sharpe’s rise was rapid, from fringe top-100 prospect to No. 1 in his class in the span of a year. “In my mind, he’s the No. 1 pick (in 2023). How can I know what the No. 1 draft pick looks like? He’s athletic, he’s explosive, he can really shoot the ball and I think he can be an elite defender. He can be the No. 1 pick.” “The kid comes back, he’s the No. 1 draft pick,” Calipari said.

Sharpe, who worked out for the Blazers at their facility on June 15, played in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League last year and shot 36.4% on threes while ...

Sharpe said he felt his workout in Portland went well, as did his discussions with the Blazers about his desire to compete. Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has been vocal about seeking players with fight and the determination to compete. “I showed some of that in the workout. “I feel like I bring a dog mentality just because I love to compete and I love to win,” Sharpe said. For Sharpe, it’s been an unconventional road to this point. He ended up going No. 8 to New Orleans. He practiced with the Wildcats but elected to prepare for the draft rather than suit up. “It’s so surreal.” “They’ve got a lot of great guards that can really play. Unless Sharpe dazzles early on, extended minutes could be tough to come by during his rookie season. I just can’t really wait to learn from Damian Lillard. He’s a great guy who has been in this league for a long time.” An elite athlete with silky-smooth skills, Sharpe enrolled in Kentucky in January as one of the top recruits in the nation, but never appeared in a game.

By now, you know how Sharpe was a mid-year enrollee for the Wildcats during the 2021-22 college basketball season. Originally a member of the 2022 recruiting ...

He concluded his high school career at Dream City Christian Academy and averaged 24.1 points and six rebounds per game as a junior en route to earning The Circuit’s Player of the Year honor. However, due to some technicalities, Sharpe had enough high school credits to graduate a year early and become eligible for this year’s draft. “These last four months at Kentucky have been nothing short of amazing,” Sharpe said after entering the draft.

One of the top-rated NBA draft prospects is Kentucky freshman Shaedon Sharpe. But he never played a second of college basketball. Although he was healthy, ...

In the most recent showings we have seen from Sharpe, he was dominant. However, he opted to graduate early from high school and enroll in Kentucky for the spring semester. If he came out of the gates slow (e.g. see: Jaden Hardy, Patrick Baldwin Jr., or any number of would-be top NBA draft picks whose on-court performance hampered their draft stock), he could risk that firm place he has as a projected lottery pick. Although he was healthy, he didn’t see the floor, even when the John Calipari-led Wildcats played in March Madness. Sharpe, who is from Canada, was ranked as the top overall recruit in the class of 2022. One of the top-rated NBA draft prospects is Kentucky freshman Shaedon Sharpe. But he never played a second of college basketball. He added 18.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game when competing in The Grind Session. Sharpe was also an excellent contributor for Canada when he participated in FIBA youth tournaments.

Your favorite Portland Trail Blazers podcast is back for another thrilling episode! Dave Deckard and Dia Miller recorded Episode 83 of Dave and Dia on ...

Dave Deckard and Dia Miller recorded Episode 83 of Dave and Dia on Tuesday night, before the big Jerami Grant trade. Join them on the ride, then stay tuned for next week’s episode when the dynamic duo will discuss the first fruits of trade season, free agency potential. In short, this is the week when the franchise gets to bid goodbye to the 27-win season just past and say hello to a new realm of possibilities.

The 2022 NBA Draft will be a family affair. This year's draft class features several players with familial ties to the NBA or WNBA.

During a pre-draft news conference, Sharpe declared that he ultimately made the decision to sit out his freshman season after discussing the situation with Kentucky coach John Calipari, his mentor and his parents. In his latest mock draft, Irving projected that the Pistons would select Sharpe with the No. 5 overall pick. He chose to attend Kentucky, but he never played a game for the Wildcats. Shannon, an eight-time Pro Bowler who starred at tight end for the Broncos and Ravens during his NFL career, has one son and two daughters. The 19-year-old was ranked by ESPN, Rivals and 247 Sports as the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2022 before he reclassified to the Class of 2021. Jaden Ivey, AJ Griffin, Johnny Davis, Mark Williams — the list goes on and on.

Shaedon Sharpe was the first former Kentucky player to be chosen in Thursday night's NBA Draft when the Portland Trail Blazers selected him with the seventh ...

I really just soaked in everything and just had fun with it. Q: Did today and tonight unfold how you expected it to in terms of where you went? But I mean, I just found the love playing basketball with friends and family. We would play outside, in the gym at the Y. I just fell in love with it. Is basketball taking more sports base away from hockey in Canada? But in terms of like playing against an NBA player, I’d probably say LeBron.

Read the full transcript of Sharpe's comments after being selected 7th in the 2022 NBA Draft,

I really just soaked in everything and just had fun with it. But they knew I could compete because they saw it in the workouts.” Q. Did today and tonight unfold how you expected it to in terms of where you went? But I mean, I just found the love playing basketball with friends and family. We would play outside, in the gym at the Y. I just fell in love with it. The Portland Trail Blazers drafted Shaedon Sharpe with the 7th pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. Following the selection, Sharpe was interviewed at the draft venue.

The Portland Trail Blazers select Shaedon Sharpe with the seventh pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. What this tells us about the future of the team:

Perhaps I’m wrong, and the Blazers simply took the most talented player on the board in hopes of trading him later. This move felt like the perfect selection for the Blazers to continue teetering on the tight rope that newly minted General Manager Joe Cronin was thrust upon. Those paying attention would have seen this coming from a mile away once it was known that Sharpe would be available when the Blazers were on the clock.

Shaedon Sharpe is one of the most controversial picks of the lottery, but he's a perfect one for Damian Lillard and the Blazers.

Sharpe is clearly worth that risk in the mid-lottery, even for a team that needs all the ready-made contributors it can get next season. It’s time for the Blazers to start thinking about the path beyond him. What caused a prospect with Sharpe’s extremely rare package of top-tier tools and burgeoning skill with the ball to drop to the middle of the lottery? Sharpe capitalized on his eye-popping play over the summer by re-classifying, then enrolling at the University of Kentucky for the second semester. He also flashed incredible timing as a weak-side shot-blocker and jumping passing lanes for steals, though, and has the frame to eventually be quite strong for his position. His handle needs tightening but is plenty creative already, and the threat of Sharpe’s creative pull-up game should help him compensate for merely solid initial burst as a driver.

Portland's first order of business Thursday night was selecting Shaedon Sharpe, a 6-6, 200 pound guard out of Kentucky, with the seventh overall pick. “From a ...

While Cronin said he was “really happy” with how the draft went, the larger task is still very much a work in progress. We know we’re not good enough,” said Cronin. “We want to keep trying to get better so it’s continuing to address these needs. That was a good experience for us to just get to know him better as somebody who was more of an unknown going into this draft process.” So I just can’t wait to really learn from him.” “I had just worked the phones so diligently, really from post-combine on. But every step of the way I just fought and had fun with it.” But we were lucky enough to have a pretty good foundation built on Shaedon through our past viewings, specifically some of the new people we hired who had seen him quite a bit.” But I can’t wait to get to Portland and get started.” “We’re trying to be really aggressive. And it ended up that nobody wowed us.” “Also had Shaedon here for a three-on-three workout where he was really impressive,” said Cronin. “These workouts aren’t just the court time where you get to evaluate these players, you also get to spend a lot of time with them as people and learn about them and what motivates them and what drives them and what they’re about. “My dream came true, so I’m just really excited.

Shaedon Sharpe, right, shakes hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected seventh overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA basketball ...

Portland had added a piece on Wednesday, acquiring Jerami Grant from the Detroit Pistons, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The Blazers finished 27-55 last season, their worst record since 2005-06. The Portland Trail Blazers selected Shaedon Sharpe with the seventh pick in the NBA draft on Thursday, taking a chance on a player who never suited up in college.