It solely took Reed Sheppard one 12 months with the Wildcats to comprehend he has the potential to play within the huge leagues. The freshman advised the press this Thursday that he’s “going all-in” for the 2024 NBA Draft and forgo his remaining faculty eligibility.
“I’m going all-in,” the 19-year-old stated. “The chance I’ve is nice. I’ve gotten actually good suggestions displaying the place I will be within the draft. I had an unbelievable 12 months at Kentucky. It was such a enjoyable 12 months. It’s not straightforward leaving the followers and the varsity I dreamed of taking part in at. I have to do what’s greatest for me, and that’s heading to the NBA.”
The Kentucky star isn’t solely thought of to be the No. 7 prospect in ESPN’s draft projections, however he additionally was just lately named the SEC freshman of the 12 months and made the second-team all-conference this marketing campaign.
“ONE MORE YEAR!”
Followers need Reed Sheppard again for his sophomore 12 months. pic.twitter.com/glYicKYBRR
— KSR (@KSRonX) April 11, 2024
Sheppard posted averages of two.5 factors, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and a pair of.5 steals per recreation and capturing 52.1% from past the arc this season, changing into the primary potential first-round decide to shoot over 50% from threes since Glen Rice did in 1989.
“My teammates and coaches put confidence in me, telling me it’s worthwhile to shoot,” he stated. “I used to be lucky to have the ability to get within the gymnasium and work with [Kentucky assistant] coach John Welch day-after-day. He’s among the finest trainers you’ll discover.”
Popping out of highschool Reed turned a McDonald’s All American and a top-25 recruit, however nobody noticed coming that he’d turn out to be a lottery decide after a single season in faculty basketball.
“I didn’t know what to anticipate coming in,” the rising star assured. “I wasn’t stepping into with the expectations of what finally occurred. I knew I used to be going to do no matter I might to assist Kentucky win. If I wanted to get the staff water, I might get the staff water. I used to be excited to be at my dream faculty. It’s unbelievable the way in which it ended up. It’s been a extremely enjoyable journey to this point.”
Sheppard regrets the truth that the Wildcats misplaced so early within the NCAA Match after historic upset towards Oakland
Through the SEC, Kentucky tied for the second-best file at 13-5 and earned the third-best seed within the NCAA Match. Though many thought they might finally make the finals, the Wildcats suffered a historic upset within the first spherical towards No. 14 seed Oakland.
Reed nonetheless regrets their efficiency. “The purpose at Kentucky is to play for a nationwide championship,” the 19-year-old stated. “I believed we had a great shot at it. Our staff was particular, and dropping the way in which we did was laborious. All of the relationships we constructed and the way shut we had been made this choice loads more durable.”
This defeat arrange a sequence of occasions that led to educate John Calipari leaving his position in Kentucky and head for Arkansas. He was finally changed by BYU’s Mark Pope, who even gained a nationwide title as a participant with the Wildcats alongside Sheppard’s father.
“Our households are very shut. We’ve stayed in contact and all the time watched his groups at BYU,” the participant stated, as he expects Pope to do a terrific job. “I understand how sensible he’s as a coach and the way offensive-minded his groups are. They run actually great things, shoot lots of 3s and are enjoyable to look at. I feel Kentucky will nonetheless be Kentucky when it’s throughout.”
