Jeff Sheppard should give Kyle Wiltjer a call

Before Kyle Wiltjer makes it official and leaves the Kentucky basketball program for good, he should have a long talk with Jeff Sheppard. Sheppard was in a similar situation heading into the 1996-97 season at Kentucky: he already won a national championship; played with over a half dozen future NBA players; had NBA potential of his own; but couldn’t crack the starting lineup. Sheppard, like Wiltjer, just needed a little more time to develop and let the logjam in front of him play itself out.

But rather than transferring to a program where he would’ve had a more prominent role, the road it appears Wiltjer will take, Jeff Sheppard chose to redshirt for one season to buy himself more time in Lexington. The result? He was named Most Outstanding Player in the 1998 NCAA Tournament, the year after his redshirt season. That trophy wouldn’t be on his mantle today had he transferred away from UK or surrendered to the secondary role he would’ve played as a senior in 1997.

It’s almost an identical situation to what Kyle Wiltjer finds himself in today, only Kyle has two years of eligibility remaining. He can ride it out at Kentucky and see his minutes diminished next season, then hope for a big senior year; he can transfer, sit out a season, and be ‘the guy’ for two years at a mid-major somewhere; or he can sit out one season at Kentucky, continue to go up against the best players in America every single day, then have two more years under John Calipari.

Give him a call, Jeff.