Vicky Graff Photo
If Reed Sheppard does not have a second season at Kentucky the one season he did have certainly will always be memorable.
The Kentucky Mr. Basketball from North Laurel High School was one of college basketball’s biggest surprises and beloved by Kentucky fans.
He averaged 12.5 points per game and scored in double figures in 21 games. He led Kentucky with 148 assists — 4.5 per game —and that was the eighth best single season mark in UK history by a freshman.
He also led the team with 82 steals, the second most in a single season at UK behind 87 by Rajon Rondo. Sheppard was the first player in UK history to have five steals in three straight games
Opposing coaches praised Sheppard’s play all season, so it was not a huge shock that he was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches National Freshman of the Year Tuesday. Sheppard is the first winner from Kentucky to claim the honor which began in 2016-17.
He had already been named the nation’s best freshman by the United States Basketball Writers Association, The Field of 68 and both ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Dick Vitale.
College Hoops Today tabbed Sheppard as the National Sixth Man of the Year earlier after he shot 52.1 percent from 3-point range to lead the country. His true-shooting percentage (69.9 percent) ranked sixth nationally and his effective field-goal percentage (67.9) rated eighth.
The UK freshman was the nation’s only player with at least 80 steals, 145 assists and 70 made 3-pointers through March 24.
His most memorable performance probably came at Mississippi State when he not only had the buzzer-beating shot to win the game but scored 32 points — 11 came in the final 93 seconds — and also had five rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and two steals.
Sheppard was the only player in the nation this season to have a game with at least 30 points, seven assists, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals and just the 11th player in the last 27 years to put up those numbers.
Sheppard is projected as a solid NBA Draft lottery pick but has yet to declare whether he will test the NBA Draft process, simply declare for the draft or return to UK for a sophomore season.
Here is a complete list of honors Sheppard has received:
· NABC National Freshman of the Year
· USBWA Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year
· SEC Freshman of the Year (coaches)
· All-SEC Second Team (coaches)
· All-SEC Second Team (AP)
· All-SEC Freshman Team (coaches)
· Dick Vitale’s “Diaper Dandy” of the Year
· Field of 68 Third-Team All-America
· Field of 68 National Freshman of the Year
· College Hoops Today (Rothstein) National Sixth Man of the Year
· ESPN National Freshman of the Year (Borzello)
· SEC Freshman of the Week (March 11)
· SEC Freshman of the Week (March 4)
· SEC Freshman of the Week (Dec. 26)
· SEC Freshman of the Week (Dec. 4)
8 Responses
And a not a starter. LOL. Calipari is bad with personel.
Reeves – 31.4 mpg, Mitchell – 30.3 mpg, Sheppard – 28.9 mpg, Wagner – 25.9 mpg, Dillingham – 23.2 mpg. It’s obvious Cal kept Sheppard on the bench. So much so he is National Freshman of the Year, and a top 10 pick in the NBA draft.
Wagner played WAY too many minutes.
If Sheppard comes back next season he should play 32+ minutes a game and average 20+ ppg 5+rpg and 5+apg and 2.5 spg. I think Wagner was really playing good before he sprang his ankle very bad. That usually takes 2-3 good weeks of rest. I think he came back a week early from that and it never got to heal 100%. I think Wagner can be a 14 ppg 6 apg 4 rpg guy next year. With him and Sheppard having the experience and boogie fland and Perry coming in we will have 4 great guards. I would still bring in a transfer guard who can shoot the ball and play great defense. That would complete that group of guards. But if them 2 come back we will have the best 1-2 punch in college basketball next year. I think both of them are 50/50 at this point to.stay or.go. I wish they would hurry up and announce so we don’t get stuck in the same situation as last year when we signed Burks and Hart out of desperation.
Every HC in the nation would have started Sheppard, developed plays to give him solid screens to shoot over, developed big men (Ugo & Big Z) to learn how to get in position for an inside-outside game with Sheppard…
Yes… EVERY Head Coach…
But…
NOT the fraud
NOT the pseudo-coach
NOT the rambling liar
NOT the thief robbing UK
Only a like-minded (and ABSENT-MINDED) AD owned by the fraud would pamper the fraud and continue to give away millions to such a loser.
It’s the classic LOSE-LOSE case with the fraud and his personal banker minion AD.
8Kbet
I would like to know who were some of the other Freshmen Reed beat out for the award ?
I would guess Dillingham was probably No. 2