Reed Sheppard wins Gatorade Kentucky Basketball Player of the Year

The first trip to the state tournament for Reed Sheppard didn’t go as planned, but his junior season was still something to behold, and that was recently justified.

On Wednesday, Sheppard, a class of 2023 commit for the Kentucky Wildcats, was named the 2021-22 Gatorade Kentucky Boys Basketball Player of the Year, making him the first winner selected from North Laurel High School. The 6-foot-3 combo guard took North Laurel to 2022 UK Healthcare Boy’s Sweet 16 Tournament, although the Jaguars fell in the opening round to Pikeville, 59-51. Sheppard still has one more year of high school eligibility before arriving in Lexington next summer.

During his junior season, Sheppard posted averages of 25.5 points, 7.6 assists, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.4 steals per game through 33 contests, shooting 54.7 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 90.2 percent from the free-throw line, which ranks second-best in the entire state.

He’s already totaled 2,917 total points throughout his prep career and maintains a 3.79 GPA at North Laurel.

Announcing the 2021-2022 Gatorade State Boys Basketball Players of the Year. Congrats to the Nation’s top ballers. Check out all of the winners in the link below ⚡️

— Gatorade (@Gatorade) March 16, 2022

Sheppard joins a list of impressive recent winners from the state, including Sam Vinson (2020-21; Highlands), Alex Matthews (2019-20; John Hardin), Isaiah Cozart (2018-19; Madison Centra), and current Kentucky junior guard CJ Fredrick (2017-18; Covington Catholic). This honor automatically qualifies Sheppard for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award, which will be announced later in March.

The Gatorade Player of the Year award was first introduced in 1985 and provides the winners with opportunities to give back to their local communities in the form of grants, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.