LEXINGTON, Ky. — Some days, he pretended to be Rex Chapman within the 1990 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, recreating all these aerial assaults on an 8-foot aim. But most days, if grade-school Reed Sheppard was taking pictures on his yard basketball hoop, he imagined that he was … himself in a Kentucky uniform. The seconds ticked down, the Wildcats wanted a bucket, and the child from London, Ky., was going to ship.
“I’ve always been a little boy from Kentucky who wanted to play at Kentucky,” Sheppard says. “It feels like that was me just two days ago, out in the yard with my friends and my cousins, taking that last shot for Kentucky.”
Today, there are kids throughout the state pretending to be Reed Sheppard. More particularly, Reed Sheppard on Tuesday night time at Mississippi State, the place the Wildcats trailed by 13 within the second half earlier than the boy surprise turned his lifelong imaginative and prescient into actuality. Sheppard scored 23 factors within the remaining 13 minutes — 11 of these within the final 93 seconds — and buried a game-winning floater with a half-tick to go in Starkville. His heroics saved alive Sixteenth-ranked Kentucky’s hopes of successful an SEC championship and stoked desires of a deep NCAA Tournament run. He’d already put collectively a terrific freshman season, however this was a celebrity efficiency: 32 factors, seven assists, 5 rebounds, two blocks, two steals. And that boy-in-the-backyard second.
“To hit a game-winning shot for Kentucky,” Sheppard says, “was really special for me.”
REED SHEPPARD WINS IT FOR KENTUCKY 🚨 @KentuckyMBB pic.twitter.com/1pevWzZwfu
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 28, 2024
During ESPN’s broadcast, Jimmy Dykes recited a biblical play on phrases that has been popping up on do-it-yourself indicators within the Kentucky crowd this season: A Sheppard boy shall lead them. The devoted perceive a easy fact, that every of this system’s eight nationwide championship groups had a local Kentuckian among the many prime six scorers. That makes Sheppard, in lots of eyes, not solely crucial participant on this roster, however crucial particular person within the state.
Chapman is aware of higher than anybody what that degree of in-state movie star is like. He was Sheppard nearly 40 years in the past: son of a well known basketball determine, homegrown hero, Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball, McDonald’s All-American, after which an on the spot sensation for the Wildcats. King Rex, as he got here to be recognized throughout the Bluegrass State within the Eighties, understands all of the adulation, expectation and stress that comes with being basketball royalty round right here. It practically swallowed Chapman whole again then, and typically he can hardly consider how nicely Sheppard is thriving in that very same circus now.
“When I ask his dad how Reed is doing, he knows I mean how is he handling all the people, the crush of all this on his shoulders,” Chapman says. “The important thing is he has a great support system. I really didn’t, and I was more immature than him at this age.
“So you do wonder how Reed does it, how he makes such an incredibly hard thing look so easy, until you remember who his parents are. Then you go, well, that makes perfect sense. He was literally born to do this.”
Jeff Sheppard, Most Outstanding Player on the 1998 Final Four, and Stacey Reed Sheppard, a two-time state champion at Laurel County High and top-10 scorer in UK ladies’s historical past, have made arguably the most important alumni contribution within the historical past of the varsity. Their 19-year-old son is straight out of central casting for Cats followers’ wildest desires. He’s bought Kentucky basketball in his precise DNA, and he performs the form of regular, selfless, all-around sport that makes John Pelphrey, a member of Rick Pitino’s “Unforgettables” in 1992, say the youthful Sheppard is “a throwback guy who could’ve absolutely played with our team.”
It is precisely that ethos — he’s one among us — that made a complete state fall in love with the wunderkind even earlier than he proved the clutch gene is hereditary.
You see, Kentucky followers “believe wholeheartedly that when a Kentucky boy wears the Kentucky jersey, that boy plays harder and it means more to him,” Jeff Sheppard says. “Whether it’s true or not can be argued, but I think the state is feeling that right now. We’re winning, we’re scoring 90 points a game, playing a style that is appealing to the eye, and there’s a Kentucky boy out there. The whole state is connected to him.”
Jimmy Mahan is a lifelong Kentucky fan and proprietor of Roadshow Cards, which has sports activities card retailers in California, New York, Texas and his residence base of Lexington, Ky. He just lately paid $1,900 for a one-of-five autographed Reed Sheppard card, which he says he’ll by no means promote at any worth — though that worth could be absurd proper now. A 1-of-25 autographed Sheppard card was going for $5,000 on eBay on Wednesday night. Mahan says that amongst present school basketball gamers, solely Iowa star Caitlin Clark and LeBron James’ son, Bronny, are hotter on the card-collecting market.
That’s nationally. Locally, his reputation is unmatched. Mahan thought he’d by no means seen a participant so beloved as 2022 nationwide participant of the 12 months Oscar Tshiebwe, “and then Reed came along right after and it’s just a whole other level.”
“I would say 90 minutes do not pass in my store that I don’t get asked if I have a Reed card or a Reed autograph,” Mahan says. “If we’re open, someone is always walking in or calling and going, ‘Got any Reed? Got any Reed? Got any Reed?’”
Mahan hosts a number of autograph-signing periods for Kentucky gamers previous and current — present Cats can lastly capitalize on their movie star, thanks to identify, picture and likeness guidelines — however his eyes widen when he imagines what a Sheppard signing would appear to be. He’s had preliminary conversations with Sheppard’s mother and father, who assist handle his huge NIL alternatives.
“When does a Reed signing end? In this state? How long would it go?” says Mahan, who estimates he would pay Sheppard $3,000 an hour to signal for followers. “It would basically come down to how much money he wanted to make, because an unlimited signing might go all night.”
That degree of consideration may very well be rather a lot for anybody, not to mention somebody who was so painfully shy as a bit of boy that his large sister, Madison, did his speaking for him. But Sheppard needed to get comfy interacting with followers and being a public determine — as a result of he so vividly remembers what it was like to be the one begging Kentucky gamers for an image or signature. Back residence, there’s a photograph of grade-school-aged Sheppard with then-UK-star Tyler Ulis, who is now serving to coach him as a pupil assistant on John Calipari’s employees.
“I enjoy doing that for people,” Sheppard says, “because I was that fan as a kid.”
He additionally watched each his mother and father deal with their native movie star with grace and humility. He grew accustomed to complete strangers fast-walking within the household’s course at a restaurant or the grocery retailer and hanging up a dialog like previous mates. Before he knew higher, younger Reed would tug on Jeff’s arm and demand an introduction.
“Mind your manners!” Jeff remembers telling him. “Once they went away, I’d say, ‘Son, that’s a Kentucky fan.’ He’d say, ‘But do they know you?’ And I’d say, ‘Well, they feel like they do.’ ”
Stacey places it one other approach.
“They want to know you,” she says. “Anything they can do or say to share a relatable moment with you, that’s what they’re looking for, and you can see the pure joy when you’re able to give that to them. Reed being from here, growing up with us, he understands what that means to people here, so it’s not an obligation or a bother. It’s a way of giving back to what he’s loved his whole life.”
When Jeff is out in public with Reed as of late, followers nonetheless rush towards them — however usually to speak to the youthful Sheppard.
“They’ll say, ‘Hey, Reed!’ and I’m going, ‘How do you know them?’ and now he gets to say, ‘Dad, mind your manners. That’s a Kentucky fan.’” Jeff says. “Now I’m Reed’s dad. I’m no longer Jeff Sheppard, and that transition has been a blast.”
Reed Sheppard is a number one candidate for nationwide freshman of the 12 months. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
After residence video games at Rupp Arena, Reed lingers a very long time within the stands, posing for photos and signing posters or basketballs or jerseys with the No. 15 that he wears — and Jeff wore — at Kentucky. The teaching employees and faculty administration have each requested whether or not the household would really like them to do some crowd management, shew away these lengthy traces.
“We’re like no, absolutely not,” Jeff says, “because this is home, and that’s who we live with. That guy, that’s our neighbor. We go to church with those 10 people. Those 20 are his family. Those 17 are his high school coaches and teammates. That’s the difference. We live here, and when all this is done, we’ll still be here. These are our people.”
That doesn’t imply everybody deserves your time and a spotlight. While Jeff believes Kentucky followers are not any extra hysterical as we speak than when he performed, now there’s a whole different degree of entry to the gamers, through social media, that is an pointless distraction at greatest.
“What we are trying to help Reed navigate through — and trust me, it’s important for us as parents also — is that you have to be very careful what you listen to,” Jeff says. “Because when I was at Kentucky and I finished a game, I did not drive from house to house to get everybody’s opinion on how they thought I played. So for him, and for us, simple is the word. Simple is the key to his success right now. He plays a simple game, because we’ve taught him that the consistent execution of the basic fundamentals is what always wins, in basketball, in life, in family. So keep it simple.”
For Reed, that’s getting tougher day by day.
Sheppard is placing collectively a historic freshman season. He’s simply the third high-major participant within the final 30 years to document not less than 100 assists, 75 steals, 60 made 3-pointers and 20 blocks in a season — and he’s solely performed 28 video games. Lots of individuals thought, or not less than hoped, he could be a very nice multi-year participant for the Wildcats, however none dreamed that he could be so good, so quick as to develop into a one-and-done draft choose. Certainly not when he arrived with a loaded recruiting class that included Justin Edwards, Aaron Bradshaw, DJ Wagner and Rob Dillingham, who had been ranked the No. 3, 4, 6 and 16 prospects within the Class of 2023. Sheppard was ranked forty third.
“I thought it was actually going to be tough for him to get minutes,” says Scott Padgett, an All-SEC teammate of Jeff’s on the 1998 nationwide championship workforce — and now a Mississippi State assistant. “I thought he would have a good career, but I’m not going to sit here and act like I knew he would do this right out of the gate. I did believe he would be very good at handling it, though, because of his parents.
“Put it this way: When I played, Jeff Sheppard was Reed Sheppard. Everybody loved Shep, and he could’ve been pulled every which way, but he was so level-headed and calm and focused that it never got to him. Stacey was the same. So if anybody could help Reed deal with everything that comes with this, it’s them.”
Sheppard is serving to his teammates address essentially the most overwhelming components of Kentucky basketball. When Edwards, who was hyped as a possible No. 1 total choose, struggled sufficient early this season that some rapidly labeled him a bust, Sheppard instructed he meet with a psychological well being coach. He and Edwards additionally devised a easy plan for selecting one another up instantly: If one among them was down, the opposite want solely flash an enormous, goofy grin to remind them it’s not that severe. Just smile.
After Edwards delivered the sport of his profession, a 28-point outburst on 10-of-10 taking pictures in a win over Alabama, he stated Sheppard helped information him out of the darkish days that preceded it. When Sheppard stepped to the road for 2 tying free throws on the finish of regulation at Texas A&M in January, only a week after he sank six straight within the remaining 19 seconds of a win at Florida, Edwards gave him that goofy grin from the bench. Sheppard smiled, then buried them each.
“Everything in my mind kind of just cleared out,” he says. “Those are the moments you want.”
Therein lies the reply to a wild query: How does a man who doesn’t even begin for his workforce run away with nationwide freshman of the 12 months — and vault into the NBA Draft lottery — as Sheppard certain appears to be doing? By not caring in any respect about any of these peripheral considerations. Whatever anybody says he ought to be, there’s just one factor he desires to be: a winner. And no person impacts successful for the Wildcats like Sheppard, who has an opportunity to break Kentucky’s single-season information for each 3-point proportion and steals. Only eight freshmen within the final 15 years have posted a greater season-long plus/minus than Sheppard’s, and the entire others grew to become top-five picks.
“I don’t know that my ego could’ve taken being the best player on the team and not starting,” Chapman says. “But again, why are we surprised? Jeff is one of the great teammates of all time.” In reality, at Pitino’s request, Jeff redshirted the 12 months after Kentucky’s 1996 nationwide title, in what would have been his senior 12 months, to clear time for future lottery picks Ron Mercer and Derek Anderson, earlier than coming again as a frontrunner on the 1997-98 squad beneath Tubby Smith.
“The fact that Jeff didn’t leave tells you that Jeff is tough, tough,” Chapman says. “And when I look at Reed, he’s a lot like him in the way teammates love and respect him for the way he goes about his business.”
Ah, sure, his enterprise. It’s booming. Sheppard has NIL offers with Donato’s Pizza, Planet Fitness, WinStar Farm, The Dairy Alliance, Forcht Bank and White, Greer & Maggard Orthodontics, plus team-wide agreements, all of which add up to a payday that conservative estimates have put within the mid-to-high six figures. There’s definitely seven-figure potential as his star continues to rise, although Jeff says the household has turned down a number of extra affords to preserve the main target the place it wants to be.
“I didn’t come to Kentucky to do NIL,” Reed says. “The whole goal was to come play basketball, get better, win a national championship.”
But what if the Wildcats don’t this season? How lengthy will he chase that dream in Lexington? Does legacy matter to the child who grew up with Kentucky posters throughout his partitions and whose father helped increase two banners to the Rupp Arena rafters?
Reed Sheppard and his sister, Madison, attend a Kentucky sport with dad Jeff Sheppard as children. (Courtesy of the Sheppard household)
One large pile of cash or one other might be there ready for him when the season ends, both approach. And Sheppard’s could be the uncommon case through which there’s sufficient NIL incomes potential to offset the monetary threat of passing up a lofty spot within the draft.
“It’s a good question,” Jeff says. “I don’t think he’ll stay or go based on NIL, but to say it’s a non-factor is not accurate. It’s not like we sit down at the dinner table every night breaking down draft classes over the next four years trying to figure out when to go — we don’t talk like that — but we’ll make a thoughtful decision when it’s time.”
If Sheppard retains climbing draft boards, typical knowledge suggests the choice might be made for him. But Padgett doesn’t assume so.
“I’m not saying he’ll stay four years, but I would still be shocked if his career lasted one,” he says. “If there are weaknesses they think he can work on and improve in a year, I could see him staying another year. They’re going to look at this differently than most, for one because the NIL is probably crazy, but also because education is huge to them and he’d be another year closer to a degree, where he could then come back and finish it in the summers. And, to be honest with you, there’s an unknown factor.
“They are such a close, close, close family, and Reed has lived his whole life in London and Lexington, so I don’t know that there’s a real rush to get out of there unless you’re 100 percent ready. Plus, if he comes back, he’s a rock star. He’s Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali. In that state, he would be that.”
At least for a couple of extra weeks, Reed Sheppard is proper the place he at all times needed to be. So whereas his mom way back gave up asking how actuality compares to the dream, as a result of he’s by no means been an enormous talker and “you can’t hardly get his feelings out of him,” the reality is plain to see.
“Watching him play with that big smile on his face, there’s really nothing he needs to say to me,” Stacey says. ”As his mother, that tells me he’s loving each minute of this and he’s having the time of his life.”
(Top photograph: Courtesy of Chet White / UK Athletics)
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