$411,000 NIL-valued Reed Sheppard's GF Brailey marks her presence as Kentucky beats Georgia in 105-96 showdown
Kentucky Wildcats combo guard Reed Sheppard has been setting social media alight with his efficient 3-point shooting (53%) and general talent on the court, averaging 11.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season.
His latest display included 12 points, one rebound and five assists against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday night to lead the No. 8 Wildcats to a 105-96 win, their fourth win in the last five games.
Sheppard's girlfriend, Brailey Dizney, who celebrated a third anniversary with the $411,00 On3 NIL-valued combo guard in November, was at Rupp Arena in Lexington to support him, captioning a picture of herself on Instagram:
"Go Cats and Gub."
The rise of Reed Sheppard
Reed Sheppard was a four-star prospect from North Laurel High School, Kentucky, and though he joined the No. 1 recruiting class for the Wildcats, his development has been better than anyone predicted.
ESPN draft expert Jay Bilas had extraordinary things to say about the combo guard's potential on his X account.
“Among freshmen that I have watched closely this year, there are a few that have really stood out. One is Reed Sheppard of Kentucky. He’s Kentucky’s most complete player,” said Bilas. “He can play the point. Can play off the ball. He’s a great decision-maker. Outstanding shooter.
“He’s got a great shot-fake, and he’s a really smart and heady defender. Leads the team in steals. Every time you put him in the game, he’s guaranteed two steals.”
Fox Sports analyst John Fanta went even better and named Sheppard the best freshman in the class of 2023.
During his weekly radio show, Kentucky coach John Calipari has been besieged by calls from fans asking why Sheppard did not play more, and the coach was gracious in his answer.
“I know people don’t understand it,” Calipari said. “But there are people making draft picks that aren’t basketball people. They’re analytics (people). And that’s one of the things that’s helping Reed. Analytically, he’s off the charts. So they look at the numbers, and they go, ‘Oh my gosh, we gotta really look at this kid.’”
The Kentucky coach even delved into Sheppard's minutes vis-a-vis being possibly monitored by NBA scouts.
“How ’bout this one. If you play 20, 21, 22 minutes — that’s enough for (an NBA) team to know whether you’re good enough or not,” Calipari said. “You don’t need to play 30, 35, 40. And usually, when you do, those extra five, six minutes hurt you — your efficiency. They’re looking at analytics.”
Reed Sheppard is the hometown hero everyone wants to see succeed, and as he continues to bamboozle defenses with his shooting, the spotlight will be turned squarely on him.