Knox Central transfer Gavin Chadwell could give North Laurel an inside presence it has not had the last two years. (Larry Vaught Photo)
Gavin Chadwell is a 6-4, 230-pound junior center/power forward who has transferred from Knox Central to North Laurel and was among those watching Wednesday when Reed Sheppard signed his scholarship with the University of Kentucky.
He averaged 13.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last season while shooting 66.7 percent from the field and as a freshman averaged 8.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as a freshman. Knox Central beat North Laurel in the 2021 13th Region title game and then lost to North Laurel in the regional title game last year.
North Laurel was 25-3 during the 2020-21 season and then went 28-6 last season. It returns Sheppard, a consensus top 40 player nationally who averaged 25.2 points per game last year but also Ryan Davidson who added 20.1 points per game. The Jaguars return all but one starter from last year and now have added Chadwell, the inside presence they have lacked the last two years when they won with a fast, high-scoring offense.
“I am super excited to have Gavin with us,” said Sheppard after signing with UK. “He’s a big help down low. He adds an option to every play.”
Sheppard joked it is “going to be a lot better with him than it is playing against him” because of Chadwell’s physical presence.
“He is one of the players you want to have on your team. I would much rather have him on my team instead of playing against him any day of the week,” Sheppard said. “He was just so physical when we played against him. You get down low, he’s going to hit you.
“He gets all the rebounds and he is a good talker. On defense he is hard to get around because he talks and communicates well. He plays super hard and is such a nice dude. He is going to go hard and be the best he can be every time you play.”
“He is a super easy target (for passes). He is so big and he catches everything. He is a really good teammate and really good for me.”
Chadwell scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds in the 13th Region Tournament championship game in 2021 when Knox Central beat North Laurel and he was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
He got a Kentucky football scholarship offer as a freshman and was a physical presence at tight end. However, he did not finish this season at Knox Central and it’s not clear if he will or will not play football at North Laurel —which is 6-5 going into Friday night’s Class 5A playoff game at Southwestern.
Sheppard doesn’t know what Chadwell plans football-wise but he does think he could become a Division I basketball recruit.
“I think he’s got a shot if he keeps working and keeps playing as hard as he does. He’s really good,” Sheppard said.
Not only good, but perfect for what North Laurel needs to go with its scoring firepower.
“He fits the role that we needed big time. We needed a big physical dude to get some rebounds and set some screens and that’s what he brings to us and we are all super excited to have him with us,” Sheppard said.
North Laurel opponents might not be quite as expected but Sheppard also understands.
“I think a lot of teams will want to beat us even more now that he is with us just because they are tired of hearing everyone talk about us,” Sheppard said. “But at the end of the day we have to keep going out and do what we do and just worry about us and we will be okay.”
