In-state superstar Reed Sheppard was the first former Kentucky basketball player taken in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Houston Rockets selected him in the first round with the No. 3 overall pick Wednesday night.
It’s the 15th straight draft UK produced a one-and-done freshman who became a first-round pick — the entirety of former coach John Calipari‘s tenure. Since Calipari’s first season with the Wildcats in 2009-10, every NBA draft has had at least one Kentucky player off the board in the first round.
Rob Dillingham, who was also part of UK’s top-ranked 2023 recruiting class, was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 8 overall pick. He was later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Here’s what to know about where each Kentucky player landed:
Round/overall pick: First, No. 3 overall
An in-state legacy whose parents both starred at UK in the 1990s, Sheppard turned in a phenomenal freshman campaign in his lone season in Lexington. What’s more, he was one of the most gifted two-way players in college basketball, leading the Wildcats in assists (4.5) and steals (2.5) per game. He tallied 82 assists overall, which was the second most in a season by a UK player, trailing Rajon Rondo‘s record of 87 in 2004-05.
And on a team of sharpshooters — the Wildcats had three players make at least 60 3-pointers at a better-than-40% clip — Sheppard was the best. He connected on 75 of his 141 shots beyond the arc, a 52.1% conversion rate. By percentage, Sheppard departed as the best 3-point shooter in program history.
Round/overall pick: First, No. 8 overall
A North Carolina native, Dillingham made just one start (in 32 games) last season. But that didn’t slow down his scoring. The 6-foot-1 Dillingham averaged 15.2 points per outing, trailing only Antonio Reeves’ 20.2 (a Calipari-era record). Dillingham’s contributions weren’t overlooked, as he captured the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year award and also earned All-SEC Second Team laurels from the league’s coaches as well as media members who cover the conference. In addition, Dillingham also landed a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman Team.
This story will be updated as players are drafted.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.