Reed Sheppard says John Calipari is “really funny and easy to talk to.” (UK Athletics Photo)
It would have been easy for North Laurel standout Reed Sheppard to have felt overwhelmed at times last season. He not only was trying to get his team back to the state tournament, but all eyes were on him after he signed with Kentucky in November. He was also the season-long frontrunner for Mr. Basketball honors.
Sheppard averaged 22.1 points, 8.5 assists, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.0 steals per game last season and finished his career 3,727 points, third best in state history by Travis Perry and King Kelly Coleman. He also had the second most assists in state history with 1,214 and set a new state record with 653 steals. Sheppard also grabbed 1,050 rebounds.
“My teammates made it very easy for me to go out and get those numbers,” Sheppard said. “I was in the right spot to knock down shots. The steals were something most people probably didn’t see. Being able to shoot the passing lanes and see what happens before it happens is a big part of it.
“I actually think I got a good bit of that from my mom. I thank her for my IQ on the defensive end to make those plays because I’ve always been told she was really good at that.”
Sheppard appreciated being part of an “unbelievable” season with teammates he’s known most of his life.
“They are my best friends and it made for an awesome year. I couldn’t have asked for anything else. It did not end like we wanted (with a first-round loss at the state) but to end my high school career playing at Rupp Arena with my best friends, that is just special. Not a lot of high school players get to do that.”
Sheppard said his teammates sometimes would give him a hard time about so many fans wanting to see him after games or coming out to watch him play.
“My teammates and coaches would always help me if there were a lot of people waiting after a game,” he said. “It was super fun and I had to love those student sections that got on me because if I was not playing I would be right there with my friends doing the same thing.
“It was really cool to take pictures with fans knowing they looked up to you, especially after some of them had yelled mean stuff to you during the game. It was cool but also kind of funny.”
It was also “cool” when he got to know Kentucky coach John Calipari better during his recruiting process.
“Cal is a great dude. He’s really funny and easy to talk to,” Sheppard said. “It’s kind of crazy because he is the coach at Kentucky. Sitting in front of him and just talking was crazy. But once you get to talking to him, it’s easy. He’s really a nice dude.”
