Krysten Peek has been on the Reed Sheppard Bandwagon for a Long Time

Reed Sheppard's poise and ability to adjust to the talent on the court make him appealing to NBA scouts. (Vicky Graff Photo)

The Reed Sheppard bandwagon has certainly filled up since Kentucky’s season started to the point where the UK freshman is now being projected as a potential first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

However, one national analyst who was on the Sheppard bandwagon even before UK played three games in Canada in July was Krysten Peek, a writer for YahooSports and Rivals.

She watched Sheppard play in the HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass., in January and not only liked what she saw on the court but what she heard from him off the court.

“I was telling him he had a fantastic game (13 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals) and was doing what he’s doing at Kentucky now,” said Peek. “I asked him about joining the ranks of some of the nation’s best players (D.J. Wagner, Rob Dillingham, Justin Edwards) in his class in a Kentucky backcourt and how he would fit.

“I won’t forget what he told me. He said, ‘I will do whatever I am asked to do. If I need to dish out assists, hit 3-pointers, grab water during timeouts … I will do whatever as long as we win.’

“Some kids say what they think you want to hear in an interview but you could tell this kid believes in his soul in doing what it takes to win and if that was getting water, he would get water. I knew then he was a winner and would be just fine at Kentucky. I actually thought then he could be the most impactful freshman at Kentucky this season.”

She had already seen Sheppard play in Las Vegas in July 2022, against a team that had Dillingham and star Bronny James. Sheppard had 16 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in that game against a group of five-star foes.

“Reed was so unbothered by the atmosphere. He was not scared of the attention and played the right way,” Peek said. “He stayed so composed. It made me go up to him and his dad after the game and tell them he was playing the right way and he was going to be really successful in college. He was not fazed at all and that kind of attitude is very appealing to NBA scouts.”

Peek predicted former UK guards Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley would do much better in the NBA than some expected. She doesn’t think first-round draft speculation in 2024 for Sheppard is crazy talk.

“If you are looking at the back half of the first round and very early in the second round you are talking about an established team that wants to know what they are investing in. Every game those scouts are getting a glimpse of who he is and what they would be getting,” Peek said. “The speculation about him being a first-round pick is real in a draft filled with question marks. Reed is so consistent, plays defense, and makes 3-pointers.”

He is one of five players in the nation averaging at least four rebounds, three assists, and three steals per game. CBS-TV analyst Bill Raftery likes how Sheppard can “read things beautifully in an extraordinary fashion.”

NBA personnel have already been doing some preliminary background checks and Peek said that is part of the “due diligence” the league does for potential first-round picks even this far in advance of the draft.

“He is not coming from nowhere but when you are as productive as Reed has been the league is going to do its homework and find out even more about him,” Peek said. “He’s one of the best players I have covered off the court and that carries over to his on-court presence. That is very appealing to NBA teams.”

Peek could see Sheppard having the same impact on a team that Payton Pritchard, an Oregon graduate in his fourth NBA season, has had with the Boston Celtics.

“Nothing has really surprised me about Reed this year other than maybe just how productive he has been and how he has sustained that and been consistently good,” Peek said. “He’s so composed with his shot selection. He doesn’t shy away from big moments like you will sometimes see freshmen do. He takes big shots with somebody in his face. When he recognizes and needs to capitalize on shot selection, there is no hesitation and that’s impressive to NBA scouts.

“He also is not thinking about the game. He already knows what is happening. That high IQ early in the season diminishes doubts about what he does and can do.”

Peek likes how Sheppard, who is averaging 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.9 steals per game, adjusts to the talent on his team and how that impacts his role. She knows some were not impressed with his play at the McDonald’s All-American Game when he had four points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 13 minutes. Peek had a different perspective.

“I thought Reed was very productive in the time he was on the court,” she said. “He just finds ways to impact the game even when the ball is not in his hands. He doesn’t turn the ball over a lot. He finds ways to win that you cannot teach and that is very appealing to NBA scouts.”