John Calipari is going to have a hard time keeping Reed Sheppard off the court
Reed Sheppard was never considered the headliner of John Calipari’s top-ranked 2023 recruiting class, but he might be the most impressive of the bunch so far — and that’s taking into account the fact that he didn’t score a single point in one of his two games in Toronto so far.
Sheppard, a former four-star recruit turned legacy player for the Kentucky Wildcats, is already looking more and more like his pops than a guy who will wait patiently for his opportunity during his first season in Lexington. Thursday night in game two of the GLOBL Jam Tournament was his coming out party, which feels odd to say considering it’s only the middle of July. But anyone from the Big Blue Nation would be lying if they can’t admit Sheppard’s play so far has been nothing short of unexpected and spectacular.
“Ooh, was he good today?” Calipari said postgame.
In a dominating 93-69 win over Team Canada on Thursday, Sheppard was a star on both ends of the floor. He found his shooting stroke early on and used that momentum to take over on the defensive end. There was a sequence of a steal-and-score and a block-and-score that had the fanbase buzzing heading into halftime.
“Just doing whatever I can to win and impact the team the best way possible,” Sheppard said after beating Canada. “If that’s getting steals or getting a rebound or 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.”
After 25 minutes of in-game action, Sheppard’s night was over, but it was one not many will soon forget. Splitting time as the point guard and the two-guard, he posted a final line of 14 points on 5-8 shooting (2-4 3PT), two rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks — most of it coming in the first half before Kentucky’s route of the Canadians was on. Sheppard was engineering scoring opportunities for others while still finding ways to create looks for himself.
“It’s really easy playing point guard when you have four dudes around you that are really, really good,” he added.
From purely a scoring standpoint, Thursday night’s performance was a step up from what Sheppard was able to do on Wednesday. Although he still recorded three rebounds, six assists, and two steals in that first outing, none of his four shot attempts fell through the hoop. Calipari let him know about it too, but in a way that encouraged him to bounce back in game two.
“It was a funny moment,” Sheppard explained. “We were all in the locker room and (Calipari) made me say I couldn’t hit a shot (on Wednesday). So I had to stand up and say that but it didn’t bother me. Because today he said I was gonna make shots and he kept building me up. My teammates and coaches are just like keep shooting, we’re gonna find you. Keep letting them go, you’re gonna make them.”
The tactic worked.
Combine that with being thrown into the starting lineup against Canada, and that was all the confidence Sheppard needed. Tougher shots than what he was taking on Wednesday were hitting nothing but the net. There was never a hint of hesitation when operating in transition. If a teammate was open, he’d find them. On defense he played passing lanes with precision, timing his opportunities to perfection — something he did time and time again during his days at North Laurel High School.
“Reed’s been a dog out there. He’s got that dog mentality,” Fifth-year senior Antonio Reeves said of his younger teammate. “He’s out there blocking shots, getting a couple of dunks, getting rebounds, he’s doing everything the team needs him to do. That’s what we’re looking for. He’s definitely bringing that to the table.”
“Reed is — he’s a basketball player, he’s a decision-maker,” Calipari said.
He’s also a plug-and-play guy. It didn’t matter who Sheppard was sharing the backcourt with against Canada or what position he was operating out of. He can run the show as the lead guard or take a step back to one of DJ Wagner or Rob Dillingham without sacrificing production. That versatility is going to make it incredibly tough for Calipari to keep the homegrown kid off the hardwood as we head into the 2023-24 season.
“It seems as though you can go with Reed with anybody,” Calipari said with a smile.
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