Reed Sheppard
No. 15 – Kentucky Wildcats
PositionShooting guard
LeagueSoutheastern Conference
Personal information
Born (2004-06-24) June 24, 2004
London, Kentucky, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight187 lb (85 kg)
Career information
High schoolNorth Laurel
(London, Kentucky)
CollegeKentucky (2023–present)
Career highlights and awards

Reed Sheppard (born June 24, 2004) is an American college basketball player for the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He was a consensus four-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class.

Early life and high school career

Sheppard grew up in London, Kentucky and attended North Laurel High School.[1] He became North Laurel's starting shooting guard as a freshman and averaged 20.6 points per game.[2] Sheppard led the state of Kentucky in scoring during his sophomore season after averaging 30.1 points per game in 28 games played.[3] He was named the Kentucky Gatorade of Player of the Year as a junior after averaging 25.5 points, 7.6 assists, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.4 steals per game.[4] Sheppard was selected to play in the 2023 McDonald's All-American Boys Game during his senior year.[5] He was named Kentucky Mr. Basketball after averaging 22.5 points, 8.5 assists, and 8.4 rebounds per game.[6] Sheppard finished his high school career with 3,727 points, 1,214 assists, and 1,050 rebounds.[7]

Recruiting

Sheppard was considered a top-50 prospect in the 2023 class.[8][9] On November 20, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for Kentucky over offers from Louisville and Virginia.[10][11]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Reed Sheppard
SG		 London, KY North Laurel (KY) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Nov 20, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 89
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 28  247Sports: 79  ESPN: 23
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Kentucky 2023 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  • "2023 Kentucky Wildcats Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  • "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 14, 2023.

College career

Sheppard enrolled at the University of Kentucky in June 2023, shortly after graduating from high school.[12] He was assigned jersey number 15, his father's number.[13] During the summer before his freshman year Sheppard played for the Wildcats in the GLOBL JAM tournament in Canada and averaged 8.5 points, 5.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game over four games as the team went undefeated and won the tournament.[14]

Personal life

Sheppard's father, Jeff Sheppard, played college basketball at Kentucky and was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1998 NCAA tournament and later played in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks.[15][16] His mother, the former Stacey Reed, also played basketball at Kentucky and scored over 1,400 career points.[17][18] Sheppard's older sister, Madison, played college basketball at Campbellsville University.[19]

References

  1. ↑ Forde, Pat (March 4, 2021). "John Calipari, Reed Sheppard and Kentucky's Recruiting Crossroads". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  2. ↑ Roberts, Ben (June 28, 2021). "Recruiting analysts discuss Kentucky prospect Reed Sheppard". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Reed Sheppard: Louisville showing more interest than Kentucky". Courier Journal. July 5, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  4. ↑ Frakes, Jason (March 16, 2022). "Reed Sheppard, UK commit, named Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year". Courier Journal. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  5. ↑ Holton, Brooks (January 24, 2023). "McDonald's All-American Game 2023 roster: Reed Sheppard makes the cut". Courier Journal. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  6. ↑ Peck, Jared (March 19, 2023). "Reed Sheppard named Mr. Basketball; Haven Ford named Miss Basketball". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  7. ↑ Frakes, Jason (March 16, 2023). "KHSAA Sweet 16 results: UK signee Reed Sheppard's high school career ends in first round". Courier Journal. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  8. ↑ Lowe, John (August 29, 2021). "Reed Sheppard rated 5-star recruit". WYMT.com. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  9. ↑ Hale, Jon (November 16, 2021). "Kentucky basketball recruiting: Reed Sheppard could join 2023 class". Courier Journal. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  10. ↑ Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (November 20, 2021). "Reed Sheppard, No. 37 men's basketball prospect in 2023, commits to Kentucky Wildcats". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  11. ↑ Boone, Kyle (November 20, 2021). "Kentucky basketball recruiting: Five-star CG Reed Sheppard, follows in father's footsteps, commits to Wildcats". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  12. ↑ Drummond, Cameron (May 31, 2023). "This year's Kentucky Mr. Basketball won't play in annual all-star series against Indiana". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Reed Sheppard is changing jersey numbers for Kentucky basketball career. Why the switch?". Lexington Herald Leader. July 5, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  14. ↑ Tucker, Kyle (July 17, 2023). "How Kentucky basketball changed the conversation with its four wins in Canada". The Athletic. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  15. ↑ Tucker, Kyle (November 20, 2021). "Reed Sheppard follows family legacy to Kentucky: 'It's in his blood'". The Athletic. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  16. ↑ Francis, John Morgan (February 15, 2021). "Monday Quickies: Kentucky Contacts Reed Sheppard Edition". ASeaOfBlue.com. SB Nation. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  17. ↑ Levy, Dustin B (December 17, 2022). "City of Palms: Reed Sheppard poised for his own legacy at Kentucky". The News-Press. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  18. ↑ Tucker, Kyle (July 9, 2021). "The circus comes to town as Reed Sheppard and Kentucky intersect at Adidas event". The Athletic. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  19. ↑ Vaught, Larry (December 28, 2021). "Madison Sheppard was her brother's protector during recruiting". The State Journal. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
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