K.T. Turner sees Reed Sheppard as "biggest surprise" in '23 class

Reed Sheppard may be Kentucky’s lowest-rated signee in its top-ranked recruiting class in 2023, but make no mistake about it, the North Laurel (London, KY) star can play. No. 30 overall in the On3 Consensus, he doesn’t have a fifth star next to his name or the top-10 badge the program’s four other pledges have earned. And he doesn’t need them.

In fact, if you ask one of Sheppard’s future coaches, he may just be the biggest surprise of them all.

Kentucky assistant K.T. Turner can’t help but rave about the class as a whole, one loaded with scoring, versatility and star power as a whole. D.J. Wagner is the headliner, with Aaron Bradshaw and Justin Edwards both sitting firmly inside the top five — the trio could finish as the top three players in the class. Then you have a highlight in the making in Rob Dillingham, also a consensus top-10 talent.

It’s Sheppard, though, Turner says to keep a close eye on as he wraps up his high school career and makes his way to Lexington.

“It’s a really good class, brings a lot of variety,” Turner said. “I think Aaron Bradshaw is going to be really good, and obviously DJ (Wagner). I think the biggest surprise is going to be Reed (Sheppard), the way he passes the ball, especially as he continues to get his shot better. He’s going to be a really good player. Justin (Edwards) has been playing good, and Rob, obviously, he’s dynamic.

“This is a really good class with a lot of variety.”

What is it about Sheppard that has caught the Kentucky assistant’s attention? It’s the progress the North Laurel star has made from the time Turner first saw him on the recruiting trail to now. He’s also grown physically, adding muscle to add to his high basketball IQ, passing and scoring. Put it all together and you’ve got a “really good player” at the next level.

“He’s gotten a little stronger and he’s shooting the ball a lot better,” Turner said. “When I first saw him that first day, I had never seen him play. He didn’t shoot it particularly well, but his passing was phenomenal. You add that on top of his passing and shooting and he’s going to be a really good player.”

Head coach John Calipari has similar optimism regarding Sheppard’s future as a Wildcat. His scholarship didn’t come as a result of being Kentucky basketball royalty or the program needing a token in-state addition. He was recruited to play here because he belongs.

“I know playing for Kentucky has been a dream of Reed’s ever since he was a child. But, Reed isn’t here because he wanted to be here,” Calipari said following Sheppard’s signing. “He’s here because he’s a really good player who can help this team win. He has terrific fundamentals and is the kind of player who can excel on or off the ball.

“I love his work ethic and the fact that he wants to be pushed on the biggest of stages to reach his full potential.”

It’s not four blue-chip signees plus a fifth outlier in Sheppard. In reality, the 6-foot-3 guard out of London is a core piece of the program’s top-ranked class, a complementary group capable of winning a significant number of games in 2023-24.

“They all do different things that are really good, it comes together and helps you win games,” said Turner. “They’re going to be a really, really good group and really fun to watch.”