NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Pros and cons of Shaedon Sharpe final 5 options

Kentucky Wildcats

After winning just nine games last season, the Wildcats went transfer-heavy to add some experience and proven production on the roster. But so far, it looks as if things will get back to normal, with a 2022 recruiting looking to be dynamic.

Pros

I would need 10 pages to list the names of former Wildcats under Coach Calipari that ended up in the NBA, combined to earn over a billion dollars in salary. Sharpe would continue the trend and could be the piece needed to get the team back to the Final Four and even help win a national title.

And Sharpe could be the centerpiece of the No. 1 overall class in 2022, which already has five-star combo guard commit Skyy Clark. Reportedly in the mix are five-star combo guard Cason Wallace, top-10 wing Chris Livingston, and five-star big men, Adem Bona and Dereck Lively. This would be an elite group and could be the preseason No. 1 team for the 2022-23 campaign if Sharpe joins them.

Cons

Let’s assume the best-case recruiting scenario occurs for Kentucky. That gives them a loaded backcourt but could it be too loaded? We know that Davion Mintz and Kellan Grady won’t be around after next year but Georgia transfer point guard Sahvir Wheeler and Iowa guard CJ Fredrick could be around. The Wildcats could play with three guards and slide Livingston over to the power forward spot, allowing Sharpe to play at the traditional three-spot since he has the size.

But still, that’s a lot of big-time guards and everyone will have to sacrifice minutes, including Sharpe. Would he be okay with 25 mpg and potentially being the 3rd option on offense is Clarke or Wallace breaks out in the lineup? He wouldn’t have to worry about that at Kansas and still would be playing for a Final Four threat.