D E E R D R A P P E H S S T I M M CO es
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eed Sheppard was genuinely surprised that some of his former teachers, family friends and many of his friends were standing and cheering for him when he announced he would play his college basketball at the University of Kentucky.
He also does extraordinary things off the court. He went to Lexington to surprise coach John Calipari and personally tell him he was committing to UK. He made his commitment at his high school before a youth camp so the youngsters could be part of the excitement.
"Then when I got home, a bunch of old teammates, friends and family along with a bunch of people I did not even really know were texting and congratulating me. It was really cool knowing they are all supporting me," said Sheppard.
"Those kids come to our games. I know if I was a little kid and looked up to somebody and they invited me to a big thing they were having, it would have meant a lot to me, and it meant a lot to me to have them there along with my teammates," Sheppard said.
The North Laurel High School junior guard is a four-star, consensus top 30 player in the class of 2023 recruiting rankings. However, in Kentucky, he's even more highly rated by most Big Blue fans because his father, Jeff Sheppard, was part of two national championship teams at UK and was the 1998 Final Four Most Outstanding Player. His mother, Stacey Reed Sheppard, is still 13th on the alltime UK scoring and sixth in career assists. "Kentucky, it just felt like home. The people around me felt like family. It felt different, and it has always been a dream of mine to play at Kentucky," Reed Sheppard said. He averaged 30.1 points per game and shot 41 percent from 3-point range last season at North Laurel, but his stock soared during summer league play. "A lot of people kind of questioned how good he was despite what he did for us and wanted to see him against national competition, but I see every day how good he is," North Laurel coach Nate Valentine said. "I am glad he got an opportunity to prove that last summer. I watch him every day, and nothing he did over the summer surprised me. He stands out all the time. He can just do things not a lot of players can do."
His older sister, Madison, stressed to him to look past facilities to see how players listened to coaches at schools he was considering and how they treat each other. "That was her big thing, and I did look at that. She always had good stuff to tell me, and that helped," Reed Sheppard said. His commitment ceremony was carried live on WYMT-TV. His decision made statewide headlines and was the main topic of conversation on sports talk radio across the state. Fans are anxious to see him play this season, and the North Laurel junior knows the spotlight will stay on him for two years until he gets to UK. "There was a lot of pressure not just to pick Kentucky but from the whole [recruiting] thing. You get phone calls every day, text messages every day," Sheppard said. "I am 17. I am a little kid. Having to deal with all that is a lot. It got overwhelming for a little bit." He added, "I knew what I wanted to do. I told my dad I did not want to wait and be overwhelmed. He said not to wait then, and we went ahead and did this, and I am glad I did."•
TOPSinLex.com | January 2022
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