Decision date set for nation's top prospect

You've probably heard all the talk linking Kentucky to Shaedon Sharpe, the nation's top-ranked prospect.

People tend to talk about the No. 1 high school basketball player in the nation, and lately all the wind is at John Calipari's back.

The 6'4 Sharpe recently earned that top spot in the Rivals rankings in the last round of ranking revisions, and he's following that rise with a decision. The five-star prospect announced Wednesday on Twitter that he will make his choice known on September 7th at 7 p.m. EST.

Skal Labissiere was the last No. 1-ranked recruit that Calipari landed at Kentucky. John Wall was also ranked the No. 1 player in his class before signing with Kentucky.

All five Rivals FutureCast projections for Sharpe are in favor of Kentucky.

Rivals.com's Rob Cassidy explained Sharpe's recent ranking rise:

"When No. 1 overall prospect Jalen Duren and the player ranked just below him, Emoni Bates, reclassified to 2021, the search for a No. 1 began. Sharpe simply did the most to seize the top spot this summer. After making a jump into the top 10 last update, the UPlay Canada guard was the consistent high-level prospect this summer and seems to have a surefire NBA future.

"Sharpe averaged 24 points, 6.6 rebounds and three assists during the final week of Peach Jam, putting an exclamation point on a massive grassroots season. He boasts a tight handle, a quick jumper and defends relatively well positionally. But it’s his explosiveness and ability to get to the bucket that makes him special."

Those in the basketball recruiting pundit community have maintained that Sharpe is as close to a lock for Kentucky as a player could be for quite some time.

If Sharpe does pick Kentucky it could be the start of a very good news period for UK on that front with Cason Wallace, Dereck Lively, and others also rumored to be very serious about Calipari's program.

Arizona, Kansas, and Oklahoma State are among the other schools that have been linked to Sharpe in the past.

In scouting Sharpe, Cats Illustrated's David Sisk has written, "We have seen Sharpe play both live and through live stream on several occasions this year. The phrase "three-level scorer" gets thrown around a lot, but Sharpe truly fits that description. The shooting guard can make the deep shot consistently in both catch-and-shoot situations and under duress as well. In the mid-range he can pull-up then leap over his defender with his elite athleticism without losing shot form. Sharpe also combines strength and explosion at the rim.

"One big variance of the ranking system is whether the individual doing the ratings stresses potential over current ability or vice-versa. The beauty of Sharpe is that he qualifies as a top player under either circumstance. He certainly appears to be a one-and-done candidate that NBA front offices will be clamoring to draft, but he also has all the makings of a college-ready talent that will make an instant impact in his freshman season no matter where he goes."

Sharpe officially visited Kentucky in June and recently snuck back into Lexington for another unannounced trip.