No. 1 basketball recruit Shaedon Sharpe commits to Kentucky basketball’s 2022 recruiting class
LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the first time since 2015, Kentucky basketball has landed the No. 1-ranked recruit in the country.
Canadian guard Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 1-ranked prospect in the high school class of 2022 according to Rivals and ESPN, committed to Kentucky Tuesday over finalists Arizona, Oklahoma State, Kansas and the NBA G League.
If Sharpe retains his No. 1 spot in the Rivals and ESPN rankings through the end of the 2022 cycle, he would be the first prospect ranked as the top play in the class by any of the major services to sign with Kentucky since Skal Labissiere in 2015.
Sharpe averaged 22.6 points per game during the regular season portion of the Nike EYBL circuit in July, leading all players who appeared in more than two games in scoring. He shot 36.4% from 3-point range during the tournament.
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“A strong and explosive shooting guard, he is a shot-maker both off the dribble and from a catch-and-shoot scenario,” ESPN recruiting analyst Paul Biancardi wrote of Sharpe after elevating him to the No. 1 spot in the website’s 2022 ranking. “He has demonstrated the exceptional ability to create his own shot as well. Whether it’s a set play or a broken play, Sharpe will make opponents pay.
Sharpe is the second prospect to commit to UK’s 2022 class, joining five-star guard Skyy Clark.
Here is a closer look at what Sharpe’s commitment means to Kentucky.
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It would be easy to tie the first commitment from a No. 1-ranked prospect in seven years to John Calipari shaking up his staff with the hires of Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman, but Sharpe was considered a Kentucky lean even before the staff changes.
Sharpe plays for the same AAU program that developed former Wildcat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His AAU coach told the Lexington Herald Leader in December UK’s work with Gilgeous-Alexander had already made a strong impact on Sharpe’s recruitment.
jahale@courier-journal.com; Follow him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.