Reed Sheppard named NCAA's National Player of the Week

Later on Monday, Reed Sheppard will likely pick up a handful of Southeastern Conference regular-season awards once those are announced by the league. But the freshman guard is already being showered with praise.

Following his pair of impressive performances for Kentucky last week against Vanderbilt and No. 4 Tennessee, Sheppard has been tabbed as the National Player of the Week by NCAA.com’s Andy Katz. The Wildcats won both matchups, with Sheppard looking especially dominant against the Volunteers over the weekend.

Sheppard dropped 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists in an 85-81 road win over Tennessee on Saturday. He shot 9-14 from the floor and 7-10 from deep in 33 minutes played. A few days prior against Vanderbilt at home, Sheppard posted eight points, four rebounds, and a career-high 11 assists in 28 minutes.

🏆 Weekly Awards from @TheAndyKatz 🏆

Team of the Week: Drake
Player of the Week: Reed Sheppard pic.twitter.com/JNGzSg2D6y

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 11, 2024

Here’s what Katz had to say about the native of London, KY.

Reed Sheppard, Kentucky: The freshman phenom scored 27 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists in the Wildcats season-ending 85-81 win at Tennessee. Sheppard scored eight and handed out 11 assists in a 93-77 win over Vanderbilt. Sheppard has made himself into one of the most valuable freshman in the country, let alone a game changer for the Wildcats during what should be a deep postseason run. 

Andy Katz, NCAA.com

Sheppard wasn’t alone in receiving kind words from Katz, either. In his updated Power 36 rankings, Katz bumped Kentucky up to No. 5 overall, a three-spot jump from last week. He also picked the Wildcats to win the SEC Tournament this week in Nashville. UK will begin its postseason run against the winner of Ole Miss-Texas A&M on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN.