By JACOB POLACHECK
Head coach John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats made it official Wednesday with consensus five-star prospects Shaedon Sharpe, Chris Livingston, Cason Wallace and Skyy Clark signing national letters of intent.
Sharpe, who plans to enroll at Kentucky for the 2022 spring semester will redshirt this season before playing in the 2022-23 season. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard out of London, Ontario, is set to become the first consensus No. 1 prospect to sign with Kentucky since Nerlens Noel in 2012.
“Shaedon has the ability to be one of those guys that we’ve had make a special impact on this program. He is an elite scorer with a ton of upside. He’s a 6-5 athlete who I would describe as bouncy. What I love about Shaedon is the work he has put in over the last year to take his game to the next level. I look forward to seeing that work ethic take on a new challenge at Kentucky.”
Clark, Livingston and Wallace will join the program for the 2022-23 season.
“I am really excited about this group,” Calipari said. “When you watch these guys play, the talent and upside is obvious, but what stands out to me about all four of them is how much they want this and want to be here. Their mentality and their drive separate them from their peers. They all wanted to play with one another and wanted the challenge of competing against the best every day. Big Blue Nation, I can’t wait for you to meet this group and watch them play.”
Clark, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound point guard from Montverde (FL) Academy, announced his commitment to Kentucky in this recruiting class after making his decision in October of 2020.
Livingston, the 6-foot-7, 210-pound small forward from Oak Hill (VA) Academy, announced his commitment to Kentucky in September.
“Chris has everything that you look for in a wing: athleticism, speed, skill and a physicality to him,” Calipari said. He can play and guard multiple positions and he can score the ball at all levels, but he can also impose himself physically on both ends of the floor. Chris can really be a challenge for opposing defenses.”
Wallace, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound combo guard from Richardson (TX) High School, was the most recent commitment for the Wildcats, making his pledge on Nov. 7.
“Cason is a winner and a competitor who reminds me of Eric Bledsoe and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander,” Calipari said. “I don’t like to make a lot of comparisons like that, but he has a quiet demeanor with a game that speaks loudly. He can shoot it and create for his teammates, but what really separates him is his defense. He is already an elite on-ball defender who takes a lot of pride in that part of the game.”
Kentucky currently has the nation’s No. 8-recruiting class in 2022 per 247Sports, but that does not account for Sharpe due to his decision to enroll early.
The fall signing period began Wednesday and concludes Nov. 17. The spring signing period begins April 13.
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