Reed Sheppard could not pass up chance to play at Kentucky

Reed Sheppard explains why he committed to Kentucky while his parents, Stacy and Jeff , listen along with his sister, Madison. (Les Dixon/Corbin Times)

If you were expecting a lot of bells and whistles from the commitment ceremony from  North Laurel junior standout Reed Sheppard Saturday, you obviously do not know the Sheppard family very well. His father, Jeff, was the 1998 Final Four MVP when coach Tubby Smith’s Kentucky team won the national title and his mother, Stacey Reed, was a standout point guard for the UK women’s team. However, neither sought the spotlight or ever had a lot to say about their own game.

Reed Sheppard is the same way and about five minutes after his commitment ceremony started in the North Laurel High School gym — and with no commitment video to go with it or hats from colleges on a  table for him to choose one — he let all Kentucky fans have the news they wanted.

“Well, I’m a little boy from Kentucky,” Reed Sheppard said. “It’s a dream of a lot of little boys that live in Kentucky to play basketball at the University of Kentucky.”

Say amen Big Blue fans and let the name, image and likeness offer get ready to start pouring in. Imagine a family autograph signing with his parents and how many UK fans of all ages will want one or all of the autographs. Imagine the businesses that would love to have Reed Sheppard as their spokesman in Kentucky.

“I’ve grown up going to all kinds of Kentucky games. Always been around it. Having this opportunity was something that’s very hard to pass up,” he said during the commitment ceremony. 

He had taken visits to Virginia, Indiana, Ohio State, and Louisville. There had been talk of a disagreement between UK coach John Calipari and his father — something Jeff Sheppard immediately denied months ago.

Calipari and his staff did not rush to offer Reed Sheppard until they saw him play a few months ago against national competition at an Adidas event in Alabama. The offer came less than 24 hours after that and now the North Laurel standout is going to be a Wildcat just like his mom and dad.

The 6-3, 170-pound player is the 17th-rated prospect in the 2023 recruiting class by 247Sports. He averaged 30.1 points per game as a sophomore but not everyone nationally was a believer until Sheppard showcased his skills last summer and proved he was more than just a shooter. He has athleticism and great passing instincts.

Reed Sheppard and his family went to Lexington to tell Calipari and his staff personally before setting his commitment announcement. Jeff Sheppard said once his son told Calipari he wanted to be a Wildcat, the coach gave him a “big hug.”

North Laurel coach Nate Valentine said his star player never locked himself in a decision timeline but once he was comfortable with his decision, he wanted to make it known.

“Once you know, you know and when he was at peace with his decision, he was ready to announce so he could concentrate on two years of fun with our team and just getting better as a player,” Valentine said.

North Laurel opens the season with five home games — Red Bird (Nov. 29), Greenwood (Dec. 3), Barren County (Dec. 4), Corbin (Dec. 10), and South Laurel (Dec. 13).