Kentucky player Shaedon Sharpe, center, sits on the bench during the game against Georgia January 8, 2022. January 8, 2022 Kentucky Player Shaedon Sharpe

The 2022 NBA Draft has a number of interesting prospects who could be potential stars at the NBA level. Shaedon Sharpe certainly seems to believe he’s one of them.

Many draft experts see three prospects that stand out as potential superstars in the making. Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren, Auburn forward Jabari Smith, and Duke forward Paolo Banchero are seen as the top options available.

However, Kentucky guard Shaedon Sharpe appears to see himself as better than all of these prospects, and even one of the best basketball players in the world at this point.

Sharpe didn’t play a game for the Wildcats after reclassifying and enrolling at Kentucky for the spring semester. The basketball season was obviously in progress at that point, and as a result, he didn’t see the court for head coach John Calipari. Regardless, he still believes he can compete and thrive at the NBA level moving forward, showing some extreme confidence during a press conference on Saturday.

“I see myself being one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball, just getting after it and competing,” Sharpe told reporters. “One of my goals is to win Rookie of the Year and also All-Star and later on Hall of Fame.”

While it is obviously important to be confident in yourself as a player, calling yourself one of the greatest players to ever play basketball despite not playing past the high school level to this point is insane.

Many see him as a wild card in the upcoming draft due to his long layoff from the sport at a high level. He is obviously talented, coming into 2021 as one of the top college recruits. Sharpe is currently projected to go anywhere from fourth overall to the Sacramento Kings to outside of the top ten, depending on who you ask.

It remains to be seen if Sharpe can eventually back up his claims of being one of the best players of all time, but it is clear that confidence will never be an issue for the 19-year-old prospect.

[Joe Mussatto]

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.