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Reed Sheppard wears Arkansas shirt, Kentucky shorts to support John Calipari

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•02/01/25•

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Photo by Christopher Hanewinckel | USA TODAY Sports

John Calipari returning to Rupp Arena as the Arkansas head coach has led to some confusion within the Kentucky fanbase. Many are expected to boo Calipari while others will show support ahead of Saturday night’s matchup. Former players are now even getting involved, with Reed Sheppard being the latest.

Sheppard is scheduled to play the Brooklyn Nets tonight with the Houston Rockets. His pregame outfit consisted of an Arkansas shirt and Kentucky shorts. A nice half-and-half look for the former Wildcat.

Many who played for Kentucky under Calipari have a strong connection with the head coach, even if they only stayed for a year. Sheppard is clearly one of them as he is willing to wear an Arkansas shirt on the day they face off against Kentucky. A big statement from last season’s superstar.

You can check out the full outfit from Sheppard here.

Sheppard played in 33 games last season for Kentucky, averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. There were initially discussions of him returning to Lexington for another year but he wound up declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. Had he stayed with Kentucky, Sheppard would be playing under a different head coach.

As for who he wants to win the game itself, you have to imagine Sheppard will be cheering for Kentucky, the school he grew up rooting for. But there is still time to show support for the guy who recruited and coached you there.

Jay Williams predicts how John Calipari will be received at Rupp Arena

ESPN’s Jay Williams predicted John Calipari will in fact be booed when Arkansas visits Kentucky in the coach’s return to Rupp Arena.

After 15 years as head coach, Calipari left this offseason to take over the Razorbacks. It’s a “time heals all wounds” situation though.

Williams explained why Calipari would get such a reaction during Saturday’s edition of College GameDay.

“I think time heals all wounds, right,” Williams said. “And I think years from now, when John Calipari retires and comes back, people in Big Blue Nation will give him a standing ovation. They will appreciate him for the greatness that he’s been able to accomplish, winning a national championship, and all the incredible draft picks he’s brought through that organization. 

“But as of right now, you know when you literally two days before you leave to your conference rival, when you tell your fan base you’re going to be there for your entire career, that’s not a great look. And you’re going to your conference rival, your in-conference rival. So he’s going to be booed, and that’s going to be okay.”

On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this report