Reed Sheppard continues hot tournament stretch, drops 45 against North Oldham

With the weight of a stressful recruitment finally off his shoulders, Reed Sheppard is only focusing on basketball. Through the first quarter of North Laurel’s season, the future Kentucky Wildcat has picked up right where he left off a year ago; impressive scoring stretches, vastly underrated playmaking skills, and robotic-like timing in transition.

During this week’s annual King of the Bluegrass tournament up at Fairdale High School in Louisville, KY, Sheppard has been putting on a show for the droves of Big Blue fans who just had to catch a glimpse of the state’s most popular high schooler. On Friday night, he shook off a quick turnaround to post a 5×5 stat line consisting of 15 points, 14 assists, eight rebounds, five steals, and five blocks. His 11 turnovers shouldn’t be ignored either, but Sheppard was simply happy to get the win.

On Sunday, he was 100 percent locked in. Going up against a North Oldham squad that had just upset Paul Laurence Dunbar in the opening round, North Laurel was going to get a challenge. Sheppard responded with vigor, exploding for 45 points while shooting 15-23 from the floor. He added eight rebounds, three assists, and seven steals with four turnovers as well while making 15 of his 17 free-throw attempts. 30 of his 45 points came in the second half alone. Sheppard was later named the Central Bank Player of the Game.

More good stuff from @reed_sheppard this is incredible! https://t.co/oYUiYvgXet pic.twitter.com/1nTRhWmf3d

— Troy Howell (@teeroyhowell) December 20, 2021

North Laurel fell into an early 14-9 hole after the first period but quickly found its rhythm. The Jaguars eventually led by two at the half before establishing a late lead down the stretch. Reed Sheppard’s squad took a 78-73 victory and move onto the semifinals. The two teams combined for 67 fourth-quarter points, a tournament record.

North Laurel will play Dorman (SC) on Monday night at 9:00 p.m. EST in the semis. Dorman features an On3 Consensus four-star Alabama commit in 6-foot-9 Noah Clowney and is coming off a tight 59-57 victory over George Rogers Clark.

It was always going to be difficult for Sheppard as a junior to average the 30 points per game he did as a sophomore. The early portion of the 2021-22 schedule includes more heavy-weight opponents, plus he holds the target of being a UK commit. But so far, his numbers have continued to light up box scores.

Sheppard is averaging 24.6 points per game through seven outings this season, shooting 58.2 percent overall from the floor and 41.4 percent from beyond the arc. He’s also 32-34 from the charity stripe (94.1 percent). If you haven’t had the opportunity to see him in person yet, now would be the time. Dorman, the top-ranked team out of South Carolina, has yet to drop a game this season and features a talented inside presence that North Laurel won’t be familiar with.

Tipoff for tonight’s semifinals will begin at 9 p.m. at Fairdale High School with a $12 cost of admission. The first of two semifinals between Male and Covington Catholic will tip at 7:30 p.m.