Reed Sheppard enters NBA draft, leaves Kentucky after 1 season

Kentucky freshman guard Reed Sheppard will enter the 2024 NBA draft and forgo his remaining school eligibility, he advised ESPN on Thursday.

“I’m going all-in,” Sheppard mentioned. “The opportunity I have is great. I’ve gotten really good feedback showing where I can be in the draft. I had an unbelievable year at Kentucky. It was such a fun year. It’s not easy leaving the fans and the school I dreamed of playing at. I need to do what’s best for me, and that’s heading to the NBA.”

Sheppard, the No. 7 prospect in ESPN’s NBA draft projections, was named the SEC freshman of the yr and second-team all-conference after averaging 12.5 factors, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and a pair of.5 steals per sport and capturing 52.1% from 3. No first-round choose from school has shot over 50% from 3 on related quantity since Glen Rice at Michigan in 1988-89.

“My teammates and coaches put confidence in me, telling me you need to shoot,” Sheppard mentioned. “I was fortunate to be able to get in the gym and work with [Kentucky assistant] coach John Welch every day. He’s one of the best trainers you’ll find.”

Sheppard was a top-25 recruit and a McDonald’s All American popping out of highschool, however few anticipated him to emerge as a one-and-done lottery choose, particularly after coming off the bench for many of the season.

Nevertheless, he captivated NBA scouts along with his capturing prowess, playmaking acumen, defensive instincts, really feel for the sport, productiveness and endless confidence, with a slew of remarkable performances in SEC play.

“I didn’t know what to expect coming in,” Sheppard mentioned. “I wasn’t going in with the expectations of what ultimately happened. I knew I was going to do whatever I could to help Kentucky win. If I needed to get the team water, I would get the team water. I was excited to be at my dream school. It’s unbelievable the way it ended up. It’s been a really fun journey so far.”

Kentucky tied for the second-best file within the SEC at 13-5 and earned a No. 3 seed within the NCAA match. The Wildcats had been upset within the first spherical by No. 14 seed Oakland, which set off a series of occasions main to educate John Calipari departing for Arkansas.

“The goal at Kentucky is to play for a national championship,” Sheppard mentioned. “I thought we had a good shot at it. Our team was special, and losing the way we did was hard. All the relationships we built and how close we were made this decision a lot harder.”

Calipari was changed by BYU‘s Mark Pope, who gained a nationwide championship as a participant at Kentucky alongside Sheppard’s father, Jeff. Reed Sheppard mentioned he thought Pope was “going to do a great job.”

“Our families are very close. We’ve stayed in touch and always watched his teams at BYU,” Sheppard mentioned. “I know how smart he is as a coach and how offensive-minded his teams are. They run really good stuff, shoot a lot of 3s and are fun to watch. I think Kentucky will still be Kentucky when it’s all over.”

The NBA draft mix can be held May 13-19 in Chicago, and the NBA draft can be held in New York City on June 26-27.

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft skilled and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a personal scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and worldwide groups.