What does Rick Pitino know about Reed Sheppard and a possible return to Kentucky?

Reed Sheppard has been nothing short of outstanding this year for the Kentucky Wildcats. Today he’ll likely earn SEC Freshman of the Year honors just a few days removed from a 27-point performance in a road win against a Top 5 Tennessee team. The Big Blue Nation has fallen head over heels for the Kentucky legacy, so much so that some are already asking: Will he return for another season?

Rick Pitino thinks he knows the answer.

The St. John’s head basketball coach spent an hour peaking with Big Cat and PFT Commenter on Monday’s Pardon My Take. A wide-ranging discussion, he touched on just about every aspect of his career, including his time at Kentucky and this year’s iteration of the Wildcats.

The Sheppard family seamlessly connects the two. Pitino coached Jeff and infamously botched the recruitment of Stacey Reed. While watching from afar, Pitino has not been shy in his praise for the new Sheppard at Kentucky.

“He’s tremendous. He’s a great shooter, great passer. He’s extremely athletic — I don’t know if you got a glimpse of him blocking that shot in the corner and getting off his feet,” Pitino said, referring to his blocked shot at Mississippi State.

Pitino didn’t stop there. This is where it gets real interesting for the BBN.

“He’s got a big decision to make. He’s probably a top eight pick in the draft. He’s the closest thing to a Rex Chapman for Kentucky. Does he stay? Does he leave? Because they’re (Jeff and Stacey) two Kentucky people. I think I know the answer to that question, but I’ll keep it to myself.”

What does Pitino know? He clearly knew nothing during his time as the Louisville coach. They couldn’t go a day without cheating and he pleaded ignorance every time the program got caught. Maybe he is still clueless, or maybe he actually does know something. What if Pitino is somehow the first to know that Reed Sheppard is returning for another season in Kentucky? There’s no harm in dreaming big, Big Blue Nation.

Pitino thinks Kentucky can win a Title

Rick Pitino has never been too shy to share his opinions. Adding Twitter to his repertoire gave him a new vehicle to share takes on college basketball.

This year he thinks there are only eight or so teams that can make a run and cut down the nets in Phoenix. He shares a conference with two of those teams, UConn and Marquette. He also believes in Tennessee and Houston. Pitino isn’t so sure about these Cats, but he is fascinated to see how Kentucky performs in the NCAA Tournament.

“I think Kentucky’s interesting because they score so many points,” said Pitino. “Their offense is so great. Can they do that for six games without getting into a lockdown game with Virginia or a team like that? But they’re very talented, as talented as anybody in the nation.”

Arizona and Kansas are also under the Hall of Fame coach’s consideration, but his pick to win it all resides in West Lafayette. Similar to Virginia, this year Pitino believes Purdue is making the dramatic turnaround by winning a championship the year after falling to a No. 16 seed.

“I feel that it’s their year. I think they’re going to win the National Championship,” said Pitino. “Anybody who goes through that torture should win a National Championship.”