UK’s Sheppard goes ‘all-in’ with NBA draft jump
Kentucky freshman guard Reed Sheppard will go into the 2024 NBA draft and forgo his staying college eligibility, he informed ESPN on Thursday.
“I’m going all-in,” Sheppard stated. “The chance I have is great. I’ve gotten truly excellent feedback revealing where I can be in the draft. I had an astounding year at Kentucky. It was such an enjoyable year. It’s difficult leaving the fans and the school I dreamed of playing at. I require to do what’s finest for me, which’s heading to the NBA.”
Sheppard, the No. 7 possibility in ESPN’s NBA draft projections, was named the SEC freshman of the year and second-team all-conference after balancing 12.5 points, 4.5 helps, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 takes per game and shooting 52.1% from 3. No first-round choice from college has shot over 50% from 3 on similar volume given that Glen Rice at Michigan in 1988-89.
“My teammates and coaches put self-confidence in me, telling me you require to shoot,” Sheppard stated. “I was lucky to be able to get in the health club and work with [Kentucky assistant] coach John Welch every day. He is among the very best trainers you’ll find.”
Sheppard was a top-25 hire and a McDonald’s All American coming out of high school, but couple of anticipated him to become a one-and-done lottery choice, especially after coming off the bench for the majority of the season.Nevertheless, he mesmerized NBA scouts with his shooting prowess, playmaking acumen, protective impulses, feel for the game, performance and nonstop confidence, with a multitude of exceptional performances in SEC play.Editor’s Picks 1 Related”I didn’t know what to anticipate being available in,” Sheppard stated.”
I wasn’t going
in with the expectations of what ultimately took place. I understood I was going to do whatever I might to assist Kentucky win. If I needed to get the group water, I would get the group water. I was excited to be at my dream school. It’s unbelievable the method it ended up. It’s been an actually fun journey so far.”Kentucky connected for the second-best record in the SEC at 13-5 and made a No. 3 seed in the NCAA competition. The Wildcats were upset in the first round by No. 14 seed Oakland, which triggered a chain of occasions resulting in coach John Calipari leaving for Arkansas. “The objective at Kentucky is to play for a national championship,”Sheppard stated.”I believed we had a great chance at it. Our team was special, and losing the method we did was hard. All the relationships we built and how close we were made this decision a lot harder.” Calipari was replaced by BYU’s Mark Pope, who won a championship game as a player at Kentucky alongside Sheppard’s dad, Jeff. Reed Sheppard stated he believed Pope was”going to do a great task. “”Our households are very close. We have actually remained in touch and always viewed
his groups at BYU,”Sheppard said. “I know how wise he is as a coach and how offensive-minded his teams are. They run truly excellent stuff, shoot a lot of threes and are fun to see. I think Kentucky will still be Kentucky when it’s all over.”The NBA draft combine will be held May 13-19 in Chicago, and the
NBA draft will be kept in New york city City on June 26-27. Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft specialist and the creator and
co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international groups.