He grew up just an hour down the road from where his famous basketball father had played on two National-Championship-winning teams.
Now, Reed Sheppard is following in his father’s footsteps to Lexington, Kentucky.
The freshman stepped on the court of Rupp Arena on Monday, Nov. 6, in his first season opener as a Kentucky Wildcat, just as Jeff Sheppard did thirty years ago.
“It was awesome,” Sheppard said. “Putting on the jersey for the first time and running out with my teammates, running out to the best fans in the nation hollering. It was really, really cool and something that I have dreamed of my whole life. It was a dream come true. It was unbelievable.”
A consensus four-star recruit in the 2023 class, Sheppard committed to Kentucky with a handful of other top players in the country.
Competing in the GloblJam tournament over the summer and two exhibition games in October, Sheppard had shown his talent on the court, but none compared to his performance on Monday.
No. 16 Kentucky defeated New Mexico State 86-46, with Sheppard contributing 12 points and five rebounds, including an explosive dunk that had the majority of Rupp Arena on its feet.
In fact, the Wildcats’ bench all proved to be explosive against the Aggies considering it was the first time that five Cats scored in double figures since Jan. 24 at Vanderbilt.
Head coach John Calipari had praises to sing for several of his players, including the young legacy.
“Reed may have the best hands of anybody I’ve coached,” Calipari said. “I mean, his feel to get — blocking balls. And he was really good today. Really good.”
Kentucky’s roster this season looks a little different than previous years, with Calipari focusing on bringing in the talent over experience.
The young team still has much room to develop, but Sheppard likes the trust he feels on the court thus far.
“Just being able to pressure the ball and trusting my teammates that they are going to be in the right spot,” Sheppard said. “I have four other really good defenders behind me that, if something goes wrong, if I get beat off the dribble, they have my back and can make something good happen.”
The Wildcats will have their first big test against No. 1 Kansas during the State Farm Champions Classic next week in Chicago, Illinois.
Before then, fans can catch the team at home on Friday, Nov. 10, when Kentucky takes on Texas A&M-Commerce inside Rupp Arena at 7 p.m. EST.
