Reed Sheppard is being projected as a NBA lottery pick but also has parts of his game he may improve more with another year at Kentucky. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Reed Sheppard joined John Wall (2010) and Anthony Davis (2012) as the only Kentucky players ever to be named the United States Basketball Writers Association Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year.
It was a well deserved honor for the former North Laurel star who had a sensational season that didn’t end the way he wanted when UK lost 80-76 to Oakland in the NCAA Tournament and Sheppard scored only three points on 1-for-5 shooting.
“He had a great year and it was really cool to see what he has accomplished,” Sporting News columnist Mike DeCourcy said. “Hopefully we will see the high school scouting community readjust evaluations so the ability to put the ball in the basket from great distance is valued at the level colleges and NBA value it. The game is about the shot and he’s a great shooter.”
Sheppard averaged 12.5 points per game but shot an amazing 52.1 percent (75 of 144) from 3-point range.
“It’s ridiculous he shot over 50 percent from 3. It was ridiculous when he was doing that in January and you just knew it was going to trickle down when conference teams started getting after him but it didn’t,” DeCourcy said.
“Reed has good size for a point guard and he is not undersized at the two guard. He’s physically strong, has a great basketball background, was a state high school hero and at minimum an A- athlete. Yet he was not a top 20 player in the rankings.”
The 6-3 Sheppard also led UK with 148 assists, the eight most in a single season in UK history. He also led Kentucky with 82 steals, the second most in a single season at UK behind the 87 by Rajon Rondo. He was the first player in UK history to have five steals in three straight games.
Now Kentucky fans are waiting to see if Sheppard will return to Kentucky for a second season or head to the NBA where he’s been projected as a top five pick in multiple mock drafts and lottery pick in almost every current mock draft.
“It’s a tough call,” DeCourcy said. “To be an exceptional NBA player there are elements he needs to add to his game. He has to decide if he can best develop those elements at Kentucky or in the NBA where he likely will not get on the floor as quickly.
“He has a very high scoring capability. He can still handle the basketball better and is trending to playing point guard at that level and he will have to be more creative with the ball. That is not something he has spent his career developing. He has played point guard very well but guys at the next level are amazing.”
DeCourcy knows Sheppard and his parents, both former college players, have to contemplate if he can make his best progress being a featured player at Kentucky or by being at the next level. He also knows financial considerations could enter the equation.
“I don’t think he can make a wrong decision but a right decision will depend on what he hears from teams, what his folks decide is prudent. I would not quarrel with what he does either way.”
On his weekly radio show last week, UK coach John Calipari said he had told Sheppard how proud he was of the season he had and handled all the attention he received from fans and media.
“I said, in my mind, it’s two things. His faith. And his family. His family has kept all the junk and clutter away from him. His faith has steadied him,” Calipari said. “And he’s so respected by the players on the team. And there’s no jealousy of him, or anything like that.
“He’s just good. He’s a terrific player. And there are times, I’m like, ‘Why are you not shooting more?’ But he’s trying to get everybody involved and doing his thing. He’s still the best freshman in the country! Think about that. Just being unselfish. Being a servant leader, which is what he is.”
That’s why Sheppard said he had “not thought about that all” when asked after the Oakland loss about his future. He had focused on Oakland, not next year.
“It sucks losing, but it sucks losing knowing this is the last time you’re playing with this group. This group has been unbelievable,” a visibly emotional Sheppard said after the NCAA loss. :There is no team that has been like this on and off the court. We’re all super close. It’s been a heck of a season and it’s something we’ll never forget. I know I won’t.
“Being able to play at Kentucky and having this special group of guys around me, it’s been an unbelievable season. It sucks it ends like this, but you’ve got to give credit to Oakland and how they played.”
17 Responses
I think he could use another year in college However guaranteed money is hard to turn down .
It sure would be for me Dirks
Every OAD kid would have benefited by another year or two in college, but NBA teams seem to be ok with that seasoning process to take place in their system.
Indeed they are Barry
Love Reed and his family. With the NIL, he will make good money if he comes back. However, not NBA lottery pick money. Sadly, if he goes, he will be nothing but a blip on UK’s storied basketball history. If he stays, he could end up a UK legend like his mom and dad. Tough call either way, especially when you are a teenage kid. Best wishes Reed.
IMO, he returns. Business end, is it more about the first contract or the second contract? If it is the second, which is the potentially much bigger money, then he can better build his foundational skills in year 2. No question he has massive upside. Still at the NBA level, guards all dynamic players, and most play significantly better one-on-one defense than he can. Take a portion of his NIL and insure himself against injury. Personal end, I don’t see anyway in his heart that he is ready to leave UK. Ultimately is he ready for the often harsh world that the NBA is.
But he get the time and attention he needs/deserves with with incoming players who have to be prepared for the NBA?
Reed Sheppard could be a 4 year mega-star at UK winning 2 or 3 National Championships with Perry as his running mate lighting up the scoreboard and Big Z & Ugo developed by REAL coaches.
But double-trouble fraud & his $$$ minion AD stand in the way.
Hire a real coach – Rick Pitino ?, Billy Donovan ?, Kelvin Sampson – & useful assistants such as Scott Padgett, Mark Pope, Jeff Sheppard, Jamal Mashburn, Travis Ford – and UK BB is back on top.
If the 2 thieves remain, UK throws away more money and drops further out of sight.
If the UK “brain trust” really has a brain (any1 there?) &/or can be trusted (any1 there?), the restless BBN is ready to clean house!
There is no chance that Onyenso, Z, and Bradshaw are going to get developed by anyone on this current staff. Cal has slid by for years strictly on star ratings and not about individual player development. We are 0-3 with our three bigs. Look at what Barnes did just with Knecht. He came from a Div 2 school and was 2nd team AA on that team. IMO he is currently the best player in all of college BB. Can you imagine how Cal would have misused this talent? Cal is the destroyer of player development and confidence. He has kneecapped our program until his departure. Let’s hope that we are celebrating a new coach and staff a year from now.
Yours so right, Mike. No players are developed by the fraud, and the big guys go backwards instead of getting better.
The fraud claims he is the reason so many players get drafted & become millionaires. Of course, those same player could have gone to any major or unknown college and still been drafted, and most of them would have been drafted higher if they played for any other coach.
Big Z & Ugo would be completely different if a real coach developed them. Sheppard & Perry plus those 2 bigs could lead UK to the FF and most likely Titles!
The proof that the fraud not only can’t develop players but actually makes them less effective than before he destroys them is the MAJOR difference in the individual players AND the team when they play together during summer games BEFORE infected with the fraud-virus and how they play when the season starts.
IF the AD cared just a tiny bit about UK, this obvious proof the fraud is a loser would be enough to fire him with cause and to settle the payout dispute in a Kentucky court l.
This is absolutely one of the best comments I’ve ever read about Calipari. That he has "slid by for years strictly on star ratings" is unquestionably correct. The suggestion that he "develops players" at U.K. is a joke ! Almost as complete a joke as the fact that Calipari is in the Hall of Fame … which is a disgusting affront to all others who have been inducted into the HoF.
Stay another year!
It would be nice Virginia but I just don’t know ….
I would hate to see him blow a knee out or something along those lines . My selfishness wants him to stay. But what little business savvy I have says go.
Agree
Reed should stay at least one more year. He needs to work on his foot speed and his man to man defense. He’s great at anticipating a pass but he gets burned a bunch in one on one situations. I personally think all the freshman could use another year. Dillingham should leave because he might not be a lottery pick next year. This years CLASS is weak with guards and his game translates to the NBA better than anyone else.on the team. If I was Burks, Hart, and Bradshaw I would transfer. I think Big Z and Ugo really pass up Bradshaw this off-season. I also think we have at least 3 players that transfer.
I think it’s 50/50 but Reed has already made up his mind. If I had to bet I’d say he goes. But there’s also a real chance Kentucky gets a big boost next year with a return. Reed as a Sophomore along with Kentuckys class and whoever else might return along with the couple of transfers they’re going to get gets me excited. I hated losing to Oakland but if that game is played 100 times I think the cats win 98 of them. Less about skill and really coaching than bad bad luck. For those that want Cal gone understand that some people wanted Tubby gone years before Billy G came in and look where that got them. I want to give Cal and Mitch the benefit of the doubt and see just how good this team can be and how far they can go. Comments talking about What Barnes did with DK remember Barnes has had elite talent and not one title to show for it nor a runner up for that matter. The next coach needs to be successful and most importantly young and well adjusted to the college game today