“He’s more mobile than you think. I thought he did a good job of containing. (He has) a lot of potential,” said the Mavs Summer League coach, Jared Dudley, about the towering 7 ‘5, Jamarion Sharp. Right when everyone thought the Dallas Mavericks couldn’t make a better off-season addition than Klay Thompson, an undrafted 23-year-old from Kentucky caught the hoops community’s attention with his preseason antics near the rim. Importantly, Sharp could impose a super threat to Victor Wembanyama.

The 7 ‘4 French men came into the league last season and stirred up the NBA landscape. While it’s too early to call him a future of the league, he definitely planted the seeds for it, winning the ROTY award. Moreover, Wemby also impressed fans on the defensive end with his long wingspan, raking up 1.2 steals and 3.6 blocks per game in his rookie season. Many anticipated the rookie to take home the Defensive Player of the Year, but it was Rudy Gobert, his countryman, who won it for the 4th time.

Nevertheless, Victor Wembanyama didn’t let it slide easily as he took a subtle jab at Gobert, saying, “Let him win it now because, after that, it’s no longer his turn.” The San Antonio Spurs big man has clearly stated his intentions to win the award in the following seasons. However, the rise of Jamarion Sharp could be a threat to Wemby’s ambitions.

Currently Sharp is fighting for a roster spot in the Mavericks and by the looks of his performance, he might join the Twin Towers, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II. In the ongoing preseason, Sharp produced power-packed rim protection with a 12-odd-minute stay in two games. Especially against the Utah Jazz, he dropped 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Moreover, the rising star didn’t easy on his Summer League outing, as he finished second in blocks with 2.6 bpg. Now that we know the possible future ahead of him, let’s take a look at the road he has traveled so far.

Jamarion Sharp’s interesting college recruiting story

In Sharp’s words, the big man wasn’t the greatest of players in his high school. “I was like a two-star recruit. I was just tall and uncoordinated, and I was surprised that anybody wanted me,” said the big man. However, it was his college scout, coach Rick Stansbury, who spotted the talent in an unusual way.

During his high school junior year in Hopkinsville, Stansbury attended a game on his scouting duty. While he was present to witness a different player, Sharp’s tall presence during the pre-warm-up shoot-around impressed the Western Kentucky coach. Stansbury took Sharp aside during the half-time break for a workout and offered him a contract.

Unfortunately, Sharp couldn’t join the team immediately, as he said, “I wanted to go (to Western Kentucky) right after high school, but both of my parents told me no… So, I went to (John A. Logan) junior college for two years, then I ended up coming back to Western Kentucky. It worked out.” 

He played at Western Kentucky University for two years, averaging 7.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 4.35 blocks per game, growing into a perfect defensive threat. Following that, he played for the University of Mississippi for a year, averaging 3.3 ppg and 2.4 blocks per game. Now that Sharp has entered the professional space, will he be a threat to Wemby? Let us know.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.