Illinois Basketball: 2022 guard Shaedon Sharpe receives Illini offer

The Illinois basketball program continues its 2022 recruiting pipeline, offering junior guard Shaedon Sharpe last Wednesday.

Sharpe, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound shooting guard, is one of Illinois’ latest offers. He originally hails from Canada, now residing in Glendale, Arizona, and attends Dream City Christian High School.

The four-star recruit is already generating buzz from some major institutions. Including Illinois, Sharpe has looks from Alabama, Creighton, Oregon, Xavier, and Cincinnati.

The Orange and Blue offered Sharpe recently, as the Illini became the first Big Ten program to take notice of the young guard.

In 2019-2020, Sharpe’s new squad finished the season with a .500 mark at 12-12. However, one bright spot was that the team was able to protect its home floor, finishing with a 5-1 record. Its best stretch of the season was when the team got on a hot streak, winning seven of eight games, including two convincing wins against West Phoenix 60-38 and 76-35, respectively.

Sharpe made the move to Arizona official in late-July, providing him a fresh start with new teammates around him. He brings a wealth of basketball knowledge to the states and was one of Canada’s premier players for his age group. Sharpe put together stellar numbers while at his old school, Sunrise Christian out of Witchita, Kansas, as he propelled the team to a 22-3 record while averaging 13 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.

Sharpe’s new coach, Kyle Weaver, spoke highly of the recent transfer.

"“He is very underrated in my belief and can’t wait to start working out,” Weaver told AZCentral prior to the season starting. “He brings the ability to defend 94 feet. “[He] has very good shot mechanics and is going to help our program in [the] ability to create space with one dribble and brings an attacking guard that’s always a threat around the rim. He’s going to bring an ability to space out the court with his shot and [has] proven to get by anyone one-on-one.”"

What would Shaedon Sharpe bring to Champaign?

Brad Underwood likes players who can attack the glass and move quickly up the floor. Sharpe has shown what it takes to compete at the next level. This attribute was no more evident than in a mixtape of a national tournament that Sharpe played in during 2018, as every highlight showcases a mid-range jumper or perfectly-timed slam dunk on the other end.

With another stellar season, Sharpe’s senior year will have a number of schools interested, as he is one of the most highly-touted recruits of the 2022 class.