Kentucky coach Mark Pope welcomed back to Rupp Arena by Wildcats fans
Former Kentucky basketball player and new head coach Mark Pope is announced at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
Sam Upshaw Jr.
LEXINGTON — Reed Sheppard is one of the handful of prospects in this year’s NBA draft to receive a green room invite. As such, he’s not expected to wait long to hear his name called during Round 1 Wednesday night.
Sheppard, who played for North Laurel, is the latest one-and-done prospect the Kentucky basketball program has produced. But he didn’t arrive with nearly the same hype as other members of UK’s top-ranked 2023 signing class, ceding the spotlight to consensus five-star recruits Aaron Bradshaw, Justin Edwards and D.J. Wagner.
But Sheppard was more consistent than any of the Wildcats‘ more highly touted freshmen.
He averaged a team-high 4.5 assists per game to go along with 12.5 points, which trailed only fellow guards Antonio Reeves (who set a John Calipari-era record at 20.2) and Rob Dillingham (15.2). Sheppard played in all 33 of UK’s games last season, making five starts.
Nowhere was Sheppard’s offensive excellence more evident than beyond the perimeter: He sank 52.1% (75 for 144) of his 3-point attempts last season. That percentage made him the program’s all-time leader in 3-point percentage.
Sheppard also starred defensively, tallying 82 steals, the second most in a season in Kentucky’s illustrious history — and six short of Rajon Rondo‘s record set in 2004-05.
His signature moment as a Wildcat took place in February, helping the team rally from a double-digit second-half deficit on the road against Mississippi State. Sheppard posted a career-best point total (32) to go along with five rebounds and seven assists. And he ended the game with a running floater in the final second to clinch the 91-89 victory for the Wildcats.
NBA draft projections for former Kentucky basketball player Reed Sheppard
Here’s where Sheppard might be selected, based on the latest mock draft projections.
- The Athletic: Third, Houston Rockets (Updated June 20)
- Bleacher Report: Third, Houston Rockets (Updated June 19)
- CBS Sports: Third, Houston Rockets (Updated June 21)
- ESPN: Third, Houston Rockets (Updated June 20)
- The Ringer: Third, Houston Rockets (Updated June 17)
- SB Nation: Third, Houston Rockets (Updated June 18; mock draft only included 30 picks in first round)
- USA TODAY: Third, Houston Rockets (Updated June 20; mock draft only included 30 picks in first round)
- Yahoo! Sports: Sixth, Charlotte Hornets (Updated June 17)
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.