Vicky Graff Photo
When John Calipari was recruiting Reed Sheppard he often “joked” that his older sister, Madison Sheppard Wigginton, was his “protector.”
It was a role she took seriously and more than a few times fired back at someone on social media for what was posted about her brother before he got to Kentucky.
Now that Reed Sheppard is in line to probably be a top five pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft, Madison is still on social media but does not “read anything pertaining to the draft” because no one really knows with certainty what might happen.
“There is no sense in reading that stuff because it is not the truth. I have done what I believe is a good job staying off social media in that way,” she said. “I have tried to promote the positives of him right now. I have been very selective of what I read.”
However, she can still get excited at times like she did when she was watching the NBA Finals with her husband and her brother’s name “popped up on the bottom of the TV screen” promoting the NBA summer league.
“That’s cool to see. It’s not like I didn’t think he could do this,” she said. “But that is my little brother who seems like he should still be 4 years old to me and now I am seeing his name in headlines about where he will be going and what pick he will be.
“It’s an honor to even be having this conversation and the way the Lord has opened doors for Reed. He is ready to land where he’s going to land. He’s excited about getting to meet new people. We are excited too.”
Madison will stay on this journey with her brother as she is now working full-time with him.
“I am helping navigate Reed’s foundation and how he can give back to our community and the state of Kentucky in general,” she said. “I am working with his agency on marketing and brand representation and stuff like that. It is an honor of mine to be along for this journey with him and it is petty special to share all this with my little brother.”
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The NBA Draft: First round, 8 p.m. Wednesday, (ABC-36, ESPN). Second round, 4 p.m. Thursday (ESPN).
3 Responses
“… the way the Lord has opened doors for Reed. …”
The Sheppard family values established in the Lord Jesus can be seen in Reed, whose parents & siblings raised & mentored in “doing all things as unto the Lord” – with basketball being the avenue for all to see.
The team he joins will be blessed to have him as a testimony of the Lord and a humble leader on the court.
Shep can go anywhere in the Top 5 and Dillingham can go anywhere in the Top 10. I’m interested to see where are best player and most consistent player over the last 2 years goes. Reeves would be a first round pick 20-30 years ago. Now he might have to fight his way on a NBA team. The NBA used to go after only proven players who can help you right now. Reeves is the one player that I think could start for a NBA team he consistently scores. It’s sad Edwards will be drafted before him. I don’t even see how teams would want him. I think Thiero was much better than him I also think Wagner as bad as he played was better than Edwards. He will be our next NBA flop. I have my fingers crossed that Pope can sign Hudson Greer. He’s ranked #19 in the 2025 class but i think he should be top 5. He dominates with little effort and when he puts all of his effort into it I’ve never seen anyone that unstoppable. He’s the best player in the state of Texas and he is to me the most co.plete basketball player I’ve seen in the past 5 classes. Great defense great athlete and he can shoot the lights out and he dunks like Dominique wilkins. I’ve never seen a white boy take it from half court beat his man off the dribble no matter who’s guarding him and dunkin over the opposing teams center no matter how tall. The 6’6" shooting guard is a winner. I hope and pray Pope can land him. He played a team I forget there name, but they were talking trash and pushing him and saying he was overrated and he only dropped 58 points on them and they won by 25. Hudson Greer can’t be stopped.
Thanks for details on a player I’m not familiar with – Greer. His 58 points against those players says a lot about him. I hope Pope lands him! A 6’-6” guard has a lot of advantages.