Kentucky Wildcats Basketball

Kentucky commit Shaedon Sharpe is getting an early start on his college career. 

The No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class announced on Twitter he will enroll at Kentucky in January:

it’s 🆙 #bbn see y’all soon. 🔵⚪️ #mytoolbox pic.twitter.com/bJ5Z0E1OvR

— Shaedon Sharpe (@ShaedonSharpe) November 9, 2021

Sharpe told Jason Jordan of Sports Illustrated that the plan is to redshirt this season before playing for the Wildcats next year.

"I'm going to report down there after Christmas," he said. "I'm going to redshirt. I just want to get a head start on college basketball and train with older, bigger, stronger and better players."

Sharpe didn't shut the door on playing during the 2021-22 campaign. 

"I'll do whatever the team needs," he said, "but 100 percent I will be at Kentucky to play next season."

Eric Bossi, 247Sports' national basketball director, compared the 5-star recruit's game to that of Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls:

Over the last year, Sharpe has improved tremendously as a ball handler, pull-up jump shooter and shot maker from beyond the three point line. The improved ball handling has allowed him to be much more creative as a scorer and playmaker for others. Sharpe has long arms, moves well laterally and has all of the tools to develop into a player who is just as disruptive on the defensive end of the floor as he is on offense.

The 6'5", 185-pound shooting guard announced in September he was committing to the Wildcats. His only official visits during the recruiting process were to Kentucky and Arizona, though he had scholarship offers from Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and others. The Canadian attended Dream City Christian School in Glendale, Arizona.

While Kentucky head coach John Calipari is renowned for his recruiting skills, ESPN's Jonathan Givony noted Sharpe became the program's first top-five commitment since Bam Adebayo in 2016.

The Wildcats open the 2021-22 season ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press Top 25. Their first game is Tuesday against No. 9 Duke at Madison Square Garden in the State Farm Champions Classic.    

Kentucky just improved its backcourt in a big way.

Cason Wallace, a 5-star combo guard from Richardson, Texas, committed to the Wildcats on Sunday.

"I chose Kentucky for a lot of different reasons; I built a close relationship with Coach Jai Lucas; he’d been recruiting me for a while," Wallace wrote in a first-person essay for Sports Illustrated. "When I went there, I loved everything about the vibe, and I knew that everybody really wanted me to be there."

Wallace is considered the No. 7 player overall in the Class of 2022, the No. 2 combo guard and the No. 1 player from the state of Texas, per 247Sports' composite rankings. The site compared him to Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, with Brandon Jenkins offering the following scouting report: 

One of, if not the best defender in the class. Wallace locks opponents up and controls each game with his length defensively. He keeps his man in front of him at all times, is a deflection magnet, and is one of the best transitional shot blockers in the country. Offensively, he is a bit mechanical but still very productive nonetheless. He is capable of putting points on the board from all three levels. He also can play on or off the ball and is similarly versatile in terms of his ability to play off a ball-screen or be an effective spot-up player on the weak-side of the floor. Wallace has the long-term upside to fill a role at the highest level of the sport for multiple years.

At 6'4" and 185 pounds, he'll have to bulk up some to match Smart's physicality (6'3", 220 pounds). But that's high praise nonetheless, given Smart is one of the NBA's best defenders and capable of locking down multiple positions. 

As for what Wallace believes are the strengths of his game, he told 247Sports' Travis Branham: "Leading the team, winning, playing hard on defense, hard on offense, scoring, steals and all of that."

If he provides that at the college level, Kentucky is going to be one happy squad.

The Wildcats are putting together yet another excellent recruiting class, with point guard Skyy Clark, a fellow 5-star recruit, also committed to the team. That follows a 2021 recruiting class that ranked No. 7 in the nation, per 247Sports, and included 5-star recruits TyTy Washington and Daimion Collins and 4-star power forward Bryce Hopkins. 

John Calipari always brings in a strong class. The 2022 edition is no exception.

Each player on the Kentucky men's basketball team will get paid monthly after signing an exclusive deal with FTX US:

Kentucky’s whole basketball team signed a crypto NIL deal that will pay each of them monthly. Huge for those guys and for recruiting. https://t.co/MheGhpMw1T pic.twitter.com/QSyK1aOv8m

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) November 3, 2021

The NIL deal will allow each player to be compensated individually as an ambassador for the cryptocurrency exchange.

A change in NCAA rules earlier this year allowed student-athletes to earn money from their name, image and likeness. 

Kentucky basketball has fully embraced the new system, with head coach John Calipari saying in September he wanted his school to be the "gold standard" for NIL, per Keith Taylor of Kentucky Today.

"It is a reason they'll go somewhere else if you're not doing it right, and they will do it," Calipari said. "Every player that we brought on this campus, and we're talking about recruiting, they wanted to know, their families especially, what are you doing with name, image, and likeness? How are you trying to help, and how are you trying to protect? Every kid."

Several current players were quick to take advantage of the opportunity, either through selling merchandise at The Players Trunk or sending personalized videos on Cameo.

The latest deal not only benefits the team's biggest stars, but everyone on the roster. 

Those who attended Kentucky's Blue-White Game got a show Friday night.

Daimion Collins scored 22 points and Oscar Tshiebwe put up 25 points and 21 rebounds, as Team Blue earned a 108-80 win in the scrimmage.

Fly @CollinsDaimion ✈️

Up to 22 points for the freshman. pic.twitter.com/fXcujuSdFL

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 23, 2021

TyTy Washington also added 24 points and 10 assists, with each of the Wildcats' young players putting on a show before the Rupp Arena crowd.

Fun way to end the half.

1️⃣ @Oscartshiebwe34 dunk
2️⃣ @tytywashington3 ➡️ @lanceware55
3️⃣ @sahvir_ from half court (it counts to us 😉) pic.twitter.com/I3mJ16a4qX

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 22, 2021

Washington and Collins spearheaded a Kentucky recruiting class that ranked 10th in the nation. Washington looked every bit the part of John Calipari's next great point guard, creating for himself and teammates in the open court. 

Collins and Tshiebwe, the latter being a West Virginia transfer, also looked stellar as a potential frontcourt that could dominate the SEC.

Lance Ware (20 points, 10 rebounds) and guard Keion Brooks Jr. (20 points, seven rebounds) had the top performances among returning players.

Basketball time in @Rupp_Arena 😼🏀

Highlights from tonight’s #BlueWhite Game ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/EFEXYJKICn

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 23, 2021

The Wildcats are looking to recover from an abysmal 2020-21 campaign that saw them go 9-16, one of the worst marks in program history. It was Calipari's first losing record at the college level since his first season at UMass in 1989-90. 

Ranked 10th in the preseason AP Poll and seemingly with stronger depth than they had last season, it appears Calipari has the team ready to right the ship in 2021-22. 

Kentucky freshman TyTy Washington Jr. will be riding onto campus in style thanks to his new NIL deal with a Porsche dealership. 

Washington announced on Instagram that he's signed an agreement with Blue Grass Motorsport Porsche in Louisville. 

Per ESPN's Myron Medcalf, the Porsche Cayenne SUV in Washington's social media photos typically sells for more than $80,000. 

Recruiting has never been an issue for Kentucky head coach John Calipari, but he also understands the added benefit of being able to sell players on their earning potential with the program. 

"Players are not going to come here because of name, image and likeness—they're not," Calipari told reporters last month. "They're going to come here because of between the white lines this culture and the brand that we built in basketball, the national-ness, all that goes along with it, the teaching, what happens."

Since the NCAA name, image and likeness rules took effect on July 1, several college athletes across the country have benefited. 

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is earning close to $1 million through his NIL deals. 

Washington is expected to be one of the best freshman players in the country during the 2021-22 season. He's a 5-star recruit and the No. 4 point guard in this year's class, per 247Sports composite rankings. 

Combining Washington's potential with the Wildcats' profile across the country makes him an attractive spokesperson for a Louisville-based car dealership. 

Kentucky, which is ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25, will open the 2021-22 season on Nov. 9 against Duke at Madison Square Garden.    

Big Blue Madness went down Friday evening at Rupp Arena as the 2021-22 Kentucky women's and men's basketball teams were introduced to the Wildcats faithful.

Friday marked the 16th edition of the electric event, which features practices, drills, videos, speeches and more.

UK got the crowd going with this introduction hype video:

.@KentuckyMBB's Big Blue Madness intro video 🤩 pic.twitter.com/LbRjO1c6UQ

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 16, 2021

Women's hoops head coach Kyra Elzy made her entrance from the rafters:

Now THAT'S an entrance!

@UKCoachLZ from the roof, just for you #BBN!#BBM21 pic.twitter.com/RXmm0jNH5X

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) October 16, 2021

She walked onto the court with her son, Jackson, who took the time to show off his dance moves:

Y’all, look who stole the #BBM21 show!#BBN #WeAreUK

👀 @UKCoachLZ pic.twitter.com/iNrZAehF2e

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) October 16, 2021

Men's hoops coach John Calipari spoke to a packed house:

🗣 "As we tip off the new season, we remind everyone what separates Kentucky from everyone else … it’s YOU.”#BBM21 x @UKCoachCalipari

📺 @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/hzdfBUrc2E

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 16, 2021

Calipari also honored former Wildcat guard Terrence Clarke, who died in a car crash last April:

Coach Cal honors Terrence Clarke and his family 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ZeH8TqvxIb

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 16, 2021

The 19-year-old Clarke was in Los Angeles getting ready for the 2021 NBA draft.

Awesome gesture by Calipari and UK Basketball to honor Terrence Clarke like this

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) October 16, 2021

Kentucky players just gave Terrence Clarke’s family his own dedicated sneakers. Long live T Clarke man. pic.twitter.com/SaTOihg8G5

— Bobby Reagan (@BarstoolReags) October 16, 2021

Later in the evening, Blair Green won the women's three-point shooting contest over Rhyne Howard:

These two are something special, #BBN!@greenblair32 edges @howard_rhyne in the 3-point contest at #BBM21. pic.twitter.com/s8WzBnFps9

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) October 15, 2021

On the men's side, CJ Fredrick defeated TyTy Washington, who was exceptional in his own right, per Jack Pilgrim of Kentucky Sports Radio:

TyTy Washington had 25 points in the first round. First time seeing him lose a 3-point contest in three tries.

Make no mistake about it: That kid can shoot, too. https://t.co/x9gxbC9hvf

— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) October 16, 2021

Looking good in blue, @cj_fredrick 😼 pic.twitter.com/vYJv8f8Cdi

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 16, 2021

Jacob Toppin destroyed the dunk contest with some 50-point slams:

.@Jtoppin0 put up back-to-back 5️⃣0️⃣s in the @KentuckyMBB dunk contest 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ViYUFEqXE7

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 16, 2021

🐰🔝 @Jtoppin0 pic.twitter.com/I8UXqIRFyv

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 16, 2021

Daimion Collins jumped over teammate Oscar Tshiebwe for another 50:

HE JUMPED OVER HIM 😱 @KentuckyMBB@CollinsDaimion @Oscartshiebwe34 pic.twitter.com/76TCavrSQK

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 16, 2021

Toppin was just sensational, though:

Air Toppin 🤩#BBM21 x @Jtoppin0 pic.twitter.com/XDQTqy10xh

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 16, 2021

Both Wildcats teams will begin their regular seasons later this fall.

The women open at home against Presbyterian on Nov. 9. The men's team starts off at home against Kentucky Wesleyan on Oct. 29.

One of the most talented wings in the 2022 recruiting class is off the board after Chris Livingston committed to Kentucky:

Breaking: Chris Livingston, the No. 12 overall player in the Class of 2022 ESPN 100, has committed to @KentuckyMBB, per @PaulBiancardi 👏 @_chrisliv24 pic.twitter.com/URPOdRCEmu

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 15, 2021

2022 Five-Star Chris Livingston is headed to Lexington 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/mycBbSg4WQ

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) September 15, 2021

Livingston is the No. 6 overall player and No. 2 small forward, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Jerry Meyer of that outlet compared the Akron, Ohio, native to Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby:

"Tremendous physical build for a wing. Has explosive athleticism and can make plays in traffic. Loves to attack the rim. Has a powerful spin move to finish off drives. Shoots it well enough from deep but an area for improvement. Handles well in space but needs to tighten and refine his handle. Can deliver a pass on the move. Active player who comes up with balls off the glass and the floor. Has great potential as a multi positional defender."

Livingston has represented the United States at the international level, helping Team USA win a gold medal in the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. He was named MVP after averaging 14.8 points and eight rebounds.

Congrats out to Chris Livingston, the 2019 #FIBAU16Americas MVP! 🏆#USABMU16 pic.twitter.com/egUQV0q7T4

— USABJNT (@usabjnt) June 10, 2019

A few months before that, Livingston guided Buchtel to the Ohio Division II semifinals as a freshman, notably dropping 26 points in the quarterfinals.

Because of where he's from, the comparisons—even in passing—to LeBron James will be inescapable.

"I feel like expectations come with it, but it's not pressure," Livingston said to Dan Greene for Bleacher Report in October. "I don't really take expectations as a bad thing. That comes with success, so that's a good thing."

Greene wrote how James approached Livingston at an AAU tournament in 2018 and shook his hand, a moment that was covered by some prominent media outlets. James shared a highlight reel of Livingston on Instagram and dubbed him a "Young King" as well.

Labeling anybody the "next LeBron" is not only a fool's errand but also inevitably burdens somebody with the weight of impossible expectations.

There's no question Livingston has the talent to thrive at the next level and beyond. It isn't a matter of whether the 6'6", 200-pound forward will put somebody on a poster; the question is how many opponents he will have to posterize before they get the hint.

I’m faking an injury if I gotta play HIM 🤯

HBD Chris Livingston 🗣 pic.twitter.com/6asPlah9s5

— Overtime (@overtime) October 15, 2020

And simply knowing that Livingston plans to attack the basket with force won't be enough to stop him. He's so big and fast that if he doesn't blow by his defender altogether, he will at least get into a position to draw a foul inside.

As Meyer alluded to, Livingston's offensive ceiling will hinge on his shooting. He's a good-enough shooter to get by. Becoming an efficient long-range shooter will make him almost unstoppable. Add in his defense, and he can play a starring role at both ends of the floor.

Livingston probably won't be long for Kentucky, yet it should be a fun ride for the Wildcats.

The 2020-21 season was so bad it had some wondering about John Calipari's future with the Wildcats.

Calipari has become a victim of his own success to some extent because going six years without a Final Four appearance qualifies as a minor drought when you made four Final Fours in five seasons.

Kentucky nonetheless remains an attractive landing spot for blue-chip recruits. The team signed a pair of 5-star players for 2021 in TyTy Washington and Daimion Collins and got a commitment from Skyy Clark for 2022.

Calipari undoubtedly has the pieces in place for the Wildcats to once again be a national title contender.

Kentucky is loading up for big things during the 2022-23 season after landing top recruit Shaedon Sharpe on Tuesday. 

Sharpe confirmed his decision to ESPN's Jonathan Givony and announced his allegiance to the Wildcats on social media:

And I rock Kentucky Blue 😼🔵⚪️ COMMITTED! @KentuckyMBB #bbn #mytoolbox pic.twitter.com/YedAGBFyhq

— Shaedon Sharpe (@ShaedonSharpe) September 7, 2021

A standout at Dream City Christian High School in Glendale, Arizona, Sharpe has tremendous potential and now gets set to take the next step in his basketball life. 

Sharpe is a 5-star shooting guard prospect, the No. 2 player at his position and the fourth-ranked player overall in the 2022 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. 

"At 6'4", Sharpe gets to the rim at will and has the athleticism (45-inch vertical leap) to finish with authority once he's there," Sports Illustrated's Jason Jordan wrote in Nov. 2020. "Sharpe can extend the defense with his perimeter jump shot and keeps them off balance with the addition of the efficient mid-range jump shot. He's a talented playmaker who makes strong reads out of ball-screens as well."

There was no shortage of schools interested in adding Sharpe to their roster. He posted an image on Instagram of his official visit to Kentucky in June. 

Soon-to-be 5-star guard Shaedon Sharpe on his official visit to Kentucky. 📍 https://t.co/e8AW6lXHpH pic.twitter.com/Rx74J6nNk7

— TheCatsPause247 (@TheCatsPause247) June 18, 2021

The Wildcats marked Sharpe's first official recruiting visit, but he also had offers from Alabama, Creighton and Oregon, among others. 

Ultimately, though, head coach John Calipari and his staff were able to make the right pitch to secure Sharpe's commitment. 

It's hardly a surprise that Sharpe would decide to play for Kentucky. The program has been one of the best in the nation at developing players for the NBA and competing at a high level in pursuit of national titles. 

Even coming off a disappointing 9-16 record during the 2020-21 season, Kentucky remained one of the go-to programs for top recruits. The Wildcats' 2021 class ranked seventh in the nation in 247Sports' composite rankings. 

Looking ahead to the 2022 class, things are off to a great start for Kentucky. Sharpe's combination of scoring and athleticism should make him an immediate contributor for the Wildcats.

University of Kentucky head men's basketball coach John Calipari said Tuesday that he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this summer.

According to John Clay of the Lexington Herald-Leader, Calipari noted that he had already been vaccinated when he tested positive and didn't initially go public with his diagnosis since he didn't want it to discourage people from getting the vaccine.

Calipari also said that he experienced only mild symptoms.

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The 62-year-old Calipari is preparing to enter his 13th season as the head coach of the Wildcats after previous successful stints at UMass and Memphis.

Of the 11 times the NCAA tournament has been held during Calipari's tenure at Kentucky, the Wildcats have reached the tourney nine times.

In those nine tournaments, Kentucky has eight Sweet 16 appearances, seven Elite Eight appearances, four Final Four appearances and one national championship to its credit.

While Kentucky has been a top-flight program throughout Calipari's time in Lexington, that was not the case last season.

The Wildcats went a disappointing 9-16, which was their worst mark under Calipari. They also failed to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign.

While Calipari has been among the best recruiters in college basketball during his stint with the Wildcats, reloading on a yearly basis after players enter the draft is not an easy endeavor.

The mix didn't work for Kentucky last season, but Calipari has put together the No. 10 recruiting class in the nation for 2021, per 247Sports.

If the class lives up to its billing, Coach Cal and Wildcats should have a decent shot to return to the NCAA tournament in 2021-22.

Elite 2022 men's basketball prospect Shaedon Sharpe has narrowed his options to Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State and the G League Ignite, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The 5-star prospect is rated the No. 6 overall player in the class, per 247Sports.

Sharpe has official visits planned for Kansas, Arizona and Oklahoma State and could decide shortly after his final visit in September.

"I'm 100 percent open to all options right now," the guard said. "I want to see what all of them have to offer. I need to learn more about the G League in terms of what their offer is and which other players will be on the team to decide whether that's something I want to do."

Sharpe has already taken a visit to Kentucky, which is his predicted choice by 100 percent of 247Sports' crystal ball contributors, but he clarified the Wildcats aren't currently the leader.

"People have been penciling me in with Kentucky, and I'm honestly not sure where that's coming from," he said, per Givony. "Maybe it's because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went there from Uplay and was one and done. ... No one really knows anything about my situation besides my family and [director of Uplay Canada, Dwayne Washington]."

Kentucky has produced its fair share of one-and-done talent under head coach John Calipari, although Oklahoma State has some impressive recent pedigree after Cade Cunningham was selected first overall in the 2021 NBA draft as a one-and-done.

The G League Ignite also developed top talent in its first year, including Jalen Green (No. 2 overall pick), Jonathan Kuminga (No. 7) and Isaiah Todd (No. 31).

The 6'4" Sharpe will likely make a move to the NBA before too long regardless of where he goes after high school. The guard has rocketed up rankings after an impressive performance at the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, averaging 22.6 points across 12 games.