The tears and agony of defeat flushed upon Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard’s face said it all as the oh-so highly talked about Kentucky Wildcats were shown the door in the first round of the NCAA Tournament once more on Thursday night.

The No. 3 seed Kentucky suffered an 80-76 loss to the No. 14 seeded Oakland Golden Grizzlies – shortening its reservation in the dance to just a day for the second time in three years.

The Wildcats had seven freshmen on their roster this season, which made up the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in 2023 and throughout the regular season it showed as they finished with a 23-8 overall record and a 13-5 record in SEC play.

However, the ultimate lack of experience butchered Kentucky’s chase for its ninth national title as the team withered up when it was time to dance on college basketball’s brightest stage. 

Now that the 2023-24 season has concluded, it’s time to reflect on each freshman’s go-around in the blue and white and grade how they each performed in their first and potentially last collegiate season.

Rob Dillingham: A-

Rob Dillingham came into Kentucky as a four-star recruit and ultimately shined like a five-star in most games.

The Hickory, North Carolina, native played 32 games and averaged 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists, while playing a pivotal role at the point.

He was a spark off of the bench for most of the season as he only started one game for the Cats and it was a non-conference tilt against Texas A&M-Commerce on Nov. 10. In that game, Dillingham had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists as Kentucky won 81-61.

Dillingham won the SEC Sixth Man of the Year Award, was named on the second team All-SEC list and the SEC All-Freshman list.

The only negative asset to Dillingham’s freshman run was his tendency to struggle on defense but, aside from that, he was an extremely important player this season and is likely gone for the NBA Draft.

Reed Sheppard: A+

Sheppard quickly became a fan favorite this season as the home-grown Kentucky kid was a major fuse off of the bench with Dillingham. When those two checked in, the game changed.

Sheppard earned the SEC Freshman of the Year award and received second-team All-SEC honors, finishing with an average of 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. The London, Kentucky native finished the season shooting 53.6% from the field and 52.1% from deep.

Sheppard’s quick hands on defense was a major help as the Kentucky team as a whole struggled defending. He averaged 2.5 steals per game.

Whether or not Sheppard will return to Kentucky or declare for the NBA Draft is unknown, however, if this is it for Sheppard, he gave it his all in Kentucky blue.

D.J. Wagner: C+

D.J. Wagner was one of the most highly talked about recruits coming to Kentucky this season.

The five-star from Camden, New Jersey, was expected to be the main talk of this year’s team, however, he didn’t quite adjust like most thought he would.

Wagner started at the point in 28 of 29 games and averaged 9.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists, while finishing the season shooting 29.2% from three.

Wagner relied heavily on his game inside the three-point arch, but when that failed him, his game almost evaporated into nothing.

Against Oakland, Wagner finished with zero points – not even a free-throw.

Suffice to say, Wagner’s season wasn’t anywhere near what the nation thought it would be, but regardless he is also likely off to the NBA Draft.

Justin Edwards: D

Justin Edwards arguably struggled the most out of every freshman this season.

The Philadelphia native was a projected NBA lottery pick heading into this season, but has done nothing but fall off of the boards after his performance this year.

Edwards averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists through 32 games while shooting 48.6% from the field.

On top of that, most who watched Kentucky basketball this season were shocked to see the amount of missed layups and open shots missed by Edwards.

Edwards has a tough decision to make in regards to the NBA as his draft stock has plummeted and another year of college can certainly help it trend upwards again, but it could also tank even further if he does not thrive.

Jordan Burks: C

Jordan Burks saw some time early on in the season when the Cats weren’t fully healthy, but his minutes subsided as the year went on.

In 20 games played, the Alabama native averaged 1.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists through an average of 7.1 minutes per game.

His most notable performance came against Vanderbilt on Feb. 6 when he scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in 15 minutes of play.

Burks took a big step this season and fans likely hope he will return with the idea of an Adou-Thiero-esque offseason to become a key player on the Wildcats as a sophomore.

If Burks were to leave, it would be in the transfer portal as he stands next to no chance of getting any kind of look from the NBA.

Aaron Bradshaw: D

Aaron Bradshaw was another highly touted recruit who underperformed this season.

After dealing with an injury early on, the seven-footer’s first game came against UNC Wilmington on Dec. 2 where Kentucky lost 80-73.

In that tilt, Bradshaw scored three points and grabbed two boards in 13 minutes.

While the debut started him off on the wrong note, a recovery would’ve erased it all, but the recovery never truly came.

Bradshaw averaged 4.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 26 games. His time on the court faded as the year went on as he finished with an average of 13.8 minutes.

Bradshaw is another player who is expected to make a tough decision in regards to the NBA or may also be a candidate to enter the transfer portal.

Zvonimir Ivišić: B-

Those who aren’t avid Kentucky watchers probably best know Ivišić for his unbelievable debut against Georgia on Jan. 20 when he lit up the Bulldogs with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 16 minutes.

The Croatian had issues with the NCAA in regards to international rules with collegiate athletes postponing his debut, however, once it was all settled he became a fan favorite with his goofy personality and desire to win on the court.

Since Ivišić’s explosion against Georgia, with the rotation of three seven-footers, his playing time melted.

He finished the season averaging 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists through an average of 11.7 minutes per game.

Like Bradshaw and Edwards before him, Ivišić is another young player who has a tough decision to make with the NBA or if he’ll be back in Lexington.

With the freshman firepower Kentucky had this season, it was a gutting end to a season with many ups and downs. Inexperience killed the Cats but now, with those who return, it could be the start of an unbelievable comeback story in Lexington next year.