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Would the Detroit Pistons roll the dice on Shaedon Sharpe?

By Stuart London

Kentucky player Shaedon Sharpe warms up before the game against Mississippi State January 25, 2022.Kentucky Player Shaedon Sharpe
Kentucky player Shaedon Sharpe warms up before the game against Mississippi State January 25, 2022.Kentucky Player Shaedon Sharpe /
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This year’s NBA Draft is much more fluid than 2021, in terms of ranking the potential of the top players. The most intriguing, and least known about, of the prospects is Shaedon Sharpe.

He is sort of the ‘Man of Mystery’ of the NBA Draft.

Last year, there was not much doubt (except in Jalen Green’s mind), who the No. 1 pick in the draft would be: Cade Cunningham out of Oklahoma State. There was rampant speculation as to whether the Detroit Pistons would keep, or trade, the No. 1 pick, but there was little doubt, whoever selected first, would take Cunningham.

This year, there is no sure thing. While the foursome of Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith Jr. and Jaden Ivey are the consensus top four picks, there is no general agreement on who the best player is.

It will pretty much be one of those ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ for the team that gets the No. 1 pick (which the Pistons have a 14-percent chance at). Each NBA team probably has a different draft board of the top players.

Related Story. 2022 NBA Draft Lottery: 3 results Pistons should be rooting for. light

And now a real wild card has been thrown into the mix that could scramble the entire top of the draft: Shaedon Sharpe.

Sports Illustrated refers to the 6-foot-6, 200-pound Sharpe as “The premier athlete in the class.” CBS Sports in a mock draft had Sharpe going fourth. ESPN has Sharpe ranked No. 6.

Sharpe’s story has a lot of twists and turns, but it may end in him being one of the top picks in the draft.

  • He started out in high school last fall. After playing 12 games for Dream City Christian in Arizona, he got enough credits to get his diploma and enrolled at the University of Kentucky in January.
  • He did not play for Kentucky but was ruled eligible for this fall, if he remained in college.
  • But since he stopped playing high school in October, Sharpe is eligible for the NBA Draft and declared himself for the draft. He has been invited to the NBA Combine, which begins May 16 in Chicago.
  • Since he has not signed with an agent, Sharpe can withdraw from draft consideration by June 1 and still play for the Wildcats in the fall, but is expected to stay in the draft because … why not?

So one of the top ranked players in June’s draft this year did not play a minute of college basketball, just some high school games.