Film Room: Reed Sheppard

Reed Sheppard is officially a Kentucky Wildcat. Sheppard was one of the biggest recruits in the John Calipari era in the eyes of a lot of fans around the Bluegrass state. Now, the legacy recruit has committed to the ‘Cats over Virginia, Ohio State, Indiana, and Louisville.

The 4-star recruit ranked #21 in the country by On3 has already captured the attention of the fanbase. As he started to pick up scholarship offers the questions quickly turned to “when will Kentucky pull the trigger?” Then, during his outstanding summer with Midwest Basketball Club, the 6’3″ guard earned his offer from Coach Calipari and company on July 9th.

At first, the interest in his recruitment largely came from that the fact that his father, Jeff Sheppard, won two national championships at Kentucky including being named the 1998 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. However, the younger Sheppard quickly earned the attention himself with his outstanding play. Make no mistake about it, this kid can play for the Wildcats.

Now, let’s step inside the KSR Film Room and breakdown Reed Sheppard’s game.

“Bucket-Getter” Potential

The best college basketball players are the ones who can create their own offense. They don’t always need a ballscreen or an intricate set play to get open. Sometimes, you just need someone to go get a bucket. That happens to be one of Reed Sheppard’s best skills.

This first clip showcases not only his ability to create off of the dribble, but also his excellent athletic ability. Due to how he looks, there will be a lot of comments about his “sneaky athleticism.” However, there is nothing sneaky about it. He is just a straight up really good athlete.

Sheppard gets downhill going to his left and uses elite body control at the end of his drive to take contact on his shoulder, get the defender to bounce off of him, and then elevate up to finish at the rim. Athleticism isn’t always about putting your head at the rim. A lot of times, especially at the college level, it is about balance and body control. The guard from North Laurel has those attributes already.

One thing Reed Sheppard does very well is that he uses change of pace and change of direction to his advantage. On this play he gets a switch and prepares to attack his defender. After a couple of set up dribbles he gets into an explosive left to right crossover that gets him by his man all the way to the rim for a layup. Also, this isn’t against just some small school in Kentucky. This is on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit in the summer. Sheppard is good enough to break down anyone in the country off of the dribble.

The 6’3″ guard can do much more than just get to the basket though. He is an excellent outside shooter with the ability to make threes off of the dribble as well. The transition to high-major college basketball is different for everyone and it remains to be seen how much of a role Sheppard will have right away. He is just a junior in high school after all. However, one thing is certain and that is that he will be able to score the basketball from day one. When you can create separation like this and knock down contested threes off the dribble against high-level competition it shows you are ready for the bright lights.

Pure Shooting Ability

Reed Sheppard can flat out shoot the basketball. His playmaking ability is what made him a high-major recruit and ultimately landed him with the hometown Kentucky Wildcats, but that pure shooting ability is what first made him a star. Sheppard can make them off of the dribble as shown above, but he is excellent off the catch as well. His range has no limit and his quick release helps him still make shots against pressure. This will be the skill that can potentially get him on the court right away for Kentucky.

One of the signs of a pure shooter is the ability to be moving full speed away from the basket and still quickly set your feet, turn, and knock down a three-point shot. That takes incredible body control, footwork, and technique. In this clip, Sheppard is running off the downscreen into the handoff essentially with his back to the basket. However, as soon as he take the handoff, he is able to get his feet and shoulders square to the basket to fire off an on-balance shot attempt. In addition, you see his quick release even when not already set. Sheppard knocks it in for three.

A lot of Kentucky fans are probably familiar with Justin Powell. He had a great freshman season at Auburn before transferring to Tennessee. I think Reed Sheppard could be that sort of player down the road for Kentucky. He is such a good shooter, can run off of screens, but also creates plays off of the dribble. This action he ran off of into the corner really reminded me of Powell. Again, great footwork and balance to so fluidly knock this down.

Sometimes, when you are feeling it, you just have to let it fly. Reed Sheppard has excellent range and is a good enough shooter to be allowed to shoot some deep ones. When you make shots like the one in this clip you put a lot of pressure on the opposing defense. They have to be aware of you at all times and guard you well beyond the three-point line. That makes offense easier for everyone else as well.

Certified Playmaker

We know about Reed Sheppard’s ability to score the basketball. His athletic ability has been well documented as well. However, one of his best attributes is his ability to be a playmaker off of the dribble. He has elite court vision and is a proven high-level passer. Sticking with the Justin Powell comparison, this is a guy who can be an excellent secondary ball handler in the Southeastern Conference. Double-digit scoring, 40% or better shooting from beyond the arc, and four or more assists per game are in his future.

When you analyze this clip look at Sheppard’s eyes as he drives to the basket. He is clearly looking ahead to the rim and scanning the floor to his right. However, the play ends up being the backdoor pass to his teammate cutting out of the corner to his left. That sort of all-encompassing vision is what translates to assists at the college level.

As already mentioned, Reed Sheppard has great potential as a secondary ball handler for Kentucky. We’ve already witnessed the importance of having multiple skilled guards this season as the Wildcats are playing faster and finding success with the increased tempo. You have to have guys like Sheppard who can lead the fast break when he gets the ball. This throw ahead in transition is textbook touch and vision. We will be seeing some of this in Lexington for years to come.

One of the most impressive parts of the North Laurel guard’s game is his ability to drive the ball equally well in either direction. That may not seem like an outstanding point for a Kentucky recruit, but even at the highest levels of college basketball most players are more comfortable with their dominant hand. A lot of times, it actually appears that Sheppard prefers driving it left. In this clip, the 6’3″ uses the quick inside-out dribble at the top of the key to get downhill to his left hand, jumps off of his outside foot to create some space from his defender, and finishes a tough left-handed layup at the rim. This is a big time play.

This clip shows Sheppard’s change of pace and explosiveness along with his playmaking ability. He sets up his defender by faking like he is going to go left coming off of the ballscreen but then quickly crosses over to his right hand to reject the screen. At that point his shoulders are by the defender and uses his athleticism at the end of his drive to finish. That left to right cross is definitely his signature move.