Antonio Reeves reveals what stands out about Reed Sheppard

After five years, Antonio Reeves has seen it all in college basketball. Yet, he’s still amazed by Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard.

“Reed has been a dog out there. He got that dog mentality. He’s out there blocking shots, getting a couple of dunks, getting rebounds, doing everything the team needs him to do and that’s what we look for. So, he’s definitely bringing that to the table,” Reeves said after Kentucky defeated Team Germany at GLOBL JAM.

Sheppard has been phenomenal in Kentucky’s three wins at the global event based in Toronto. The 6-foot-3 guard had a modest showing in UK’s first game against Team Germany, recording zero points on 0-4 shooting. Nonetheless, Sheppard showed promise, dishing out six assists.

After shaking off the first-day jitters, Sheppard was dynamic in Kentucky’s second game against Team Canada. In the contest, the Kentucky native dropped 14 points, four assists and two blocks. While Sheppard was happy to fill up the scoreboard, he was more thrilled with the win.

“(I’m) just doing whatever I can to win and impact the team the best way possible,” Sheppard said. “If that’s getting steals or getting a rebound or, you know, making shots? I’m gonna do whatever it takes to win. And I’m happy to do that as long as we come out with the win.”

Sheppard saved his best performance for last. In UK’s victory over Team Africa on Saturday, the 19-year-old put up 18 points and eight assists while shooting 60% from the field. The former four-star prospect also recorded a team-high +/- of +25.

The performance was even more impressive when considering Sheppard was playing point guard after playing off-ball in the previous two games. UK head coach John Calipari is stunned by his freshman’s versatility.

“I only did it today because I wanted to see Robert (Dillingham) off the ball, and I wanted to see DJ (Wagner) off the ball,” Calipari said of why he put Sheppard at point guard. “And then, in the end, I put DJ on the ball. We’re trying to win the game. But Reed can play. Reed can play one, two, or three. He probably, my guess is, leads us in blocks. He probably leads us in blocks. Like, who is this guy? Gets to it quick, makes the right play.”

Sheppard will have a chance to show out once again on Sunday. Kentucky will face off against Team Canada at 8 p.m. ET to win gold at GLOBL JAM. The game will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.