Where could Reed Sheppard get drafted? Taking a look at the former Kentucky star's 2024 NBA draft stock
Reed Sheppard was mostly an off-the-bench player for Kentucky last season. However, his shooting and passing skills took his fame and draft prospect to a whole new level. Moreover, he surprised one and all by turning out to be very solid in defense.
Sheppard declared for the 2024 NBA Draft after just a solitary season of collegiate basketball. He has been invited by the NBA for the upcoming Draft Combine, which is going to begin on 12th May at Wintrust Arena. He stands in the position 7-10 tier on the composite ranking list shared by ESPN's Jonathan Givany.
According to the list, teams picking 1st-25th will be able to access his medical records from the combine and further decide if they want to pick him or not. He slots in as a No.7 pick in ESPN's top prospects list released by Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo.
Surprisingly, Top Ringer's Kevin O'Connor has identified him as the No.1 draft prospect for the Spurs who have the third-best lottery odds at 13.3%. He reckons Sheppard could become a key shot-creating guard to complement Spurs' Victor Wembanyama.
The 19-year-old was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2024 after averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in the 2023-24 season. He secured 53.6% shots from the field and 52.1% from the 3-point line.
Sheppard got a chance to play in the 2023 McDonald's All-American Boys Game during his senior year in high school. He was honored with the title of Kentucky Mr. Basketball while playing for North Laurel, Kentucky as he averaged 22.5 points, 8.5 assists, and 8.4 rebounds per game.
A four-star recruit from the class of 2024, he scored a total of 3,727 points, 1,214 assists, and 1,050 rebounds in his remarkable high school career. As a junior, he averaged 25.5 points, 7.6 points, and 6.8 rebounds and went on to win the Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year.
Reed Sheppard's emotional message upon declaring for the NBA Draft
Reed Sheppard declared for the NBA Draft via his Instagram handle. He posted a carousel of his time in Kentucky along with an emotional caption.
"You can take the man out of the city, not the city out of a man," wrote Sheppard in the caption.
The young phenom received a lot of love at Kentucky in his short tenure. He was one of the most athletic guys on the court for them and surprised everyone off the bench.