Reed Sheppard signs with Kentucky Wildcats
On3 Consensus four-star recruit Reed Sheppard has made it official, signing his National Letter of Intent to Kentucky on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-2 combo guard out of London (Ky.) North Laurel committed to the Wildcats in November of 2021, beating out Louisville, Virginia, Indiana, and others.
Kentucky has a four-man class in 2023. Joining Sheppard are five-stars Justin Edwards, Rob Dillingham, and Aaron Bradshaw.
The Wildcats are also the favorite to land five-star guard DJ Wagner.
Sheppard ranks as the No. 31 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, the average ranking from all four major recruiting media companies.
Kentucky is in Sheppard’s blood
Sheppard was raised in a ‘Kentucky Wildcats home’. His father, Jeff Sheppard, was a two-time national champion with the Wildcats (1996, 1998), and later went on to play professionally briefly. His mother, Stacey Reed Sheppard, finished as a top-10 all-time leading scorer for the Wildcats.
Kentucky basketball is in Reed Sheppard’s blood, but does that mean Kentucky was always the obvious choice? The answer is no.
“Before they even offered or started talking to me, I didn’t really see myself going to Kentucky,” Sheppard said in a previous interview with On3. “I’ve been around it my whole life and I’m always hearing stuff about it. I thought it would be kind of nice to go somewhere else. But when they started talking to me, I realized this is what I love. Just growing up around it, the fans are talking to me, it’s pretty cool. Once they offered, I was just like ‘wow.’ Not a lot of people get the opportunity to play basketball at Kentucky. Now knowing that I have that opportunity, and of course, being from Kentucky…and mom and dad both playing there as well…it’s insane to think. It hasn’t always been Kentucky, but just over the course of time, it’s gradually gotten more and more me leaning towards Kentucky. It’s been a good trip for sure.”
Scouting Summary
Reed Sheppard is a confident player who can shoot and pass. He has good court vision and can make things happen for others in transition. Sheppard is an average lateral athlete and he needs to add strength to his frame, but he gives good effort on the defense end. He has good straight line, vertical athleticism: He needs to tighten his dribble in the half court to become more of a true/full time PG. Sheppard has a smooth jump shot, with deep range and a consistent and repeatable release. His mom and dad both played at Kentucky. – On3’s Jamie Shaw, National Recruiting Analyst