Now that word is out Shaedon Sharpe will declare for the 2022 NBA Draft and stay in, he instantly becomes the most intriguing prospect in this draft class. 

Of course, when his decision to leave Kentucky for the riches of the NBA was revealed on social media, the questions followed, including this one:

How is someone who has not played all year a top-10 pick?

Let’s address that first and then briefly focus on a pair of related issues I’ve talked about over the last 12 months. 

The NBA draft stock of Shaedon Sharpe

Once rumors started circulating that Sharpe had graduated high school early, I never doubted that he would declare for the draft. Very few top-10 prospects turn down life-changing money from the NBA to stay in school. Even when there were reports that he was strongly considering staying at Kentucky, my stance never changed.

In February, I wrote about Sharpe’s unique rise from obscurity to become a top NBA prospect. As I noted: