Brown: Do-it-all Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard flips script on famous UK father
LEXINGTON — Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard came to campus best known for being a legacy recruit. After all, he is the son of former 1998 Final Four Most Outstanding Player Jeff Sheppard.
The way Reed has played seven short games into the season, he’s already flipped that dynamic.
Jeff Sheppard should now be addressed as Reed Sheppard’s dad.
Reed scored a game-high 21 points and connected on five of his first six attempts from 3-point range as No. 12 Kentucky blasted No. 8 Miami, 95-73, on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena during the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge.
"It's probably changed a little bit, but Dad was a good player, so it doesn't bother me people saying, 'Jeff Sheppard's son,'" Reed said. "But I definitely wanted to make a name for myself, and I feel like I've done that."
He's made a name for himself within the Cats freshman class, too. Sheppard was ranked well behind more celebrated recruits Justin Edwards (third), Aaron Bradshaw (fifth), D.J. Wagner (sixth) and Rob Dillingham (21st) at 79th in the Class of 2023, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Just watching Sheppard play, it'd be hard to discern who was ranked where, but an observer surely wouldn't believe that there were 78 players better than him.
NBA scouts, including several who were in attendance Tuesday, are already taking notice, meaning Sheppard's time on campus probably won't be as long as his dad's.
Miami coach Jim Larranaga was convinced as he labeled Sheppard an "NBA guy" along with Dillingham.
"He can shoot it; he can handle it; he can pass it; he finds the open man and he defends," Larranaga said.
Sheppard did all the above when he started in the second half.
Wagner, who has started every game, left in the first half and did not return after suffering an apparent ankle injury while driving for a layup with 4:22 left.
Sheppard helped the Cats expand a five-point halftime lead, draining two 3s and adding an assist during a 15-4 spurt to start the second half. UK led by 16 and never let it dip to single digits the rest of the game.
Sheppard is second behind Antonio Reeves on the team in made 3s with 19, but he leads the team in 3-point shooting percentage at an absurd 63.3.
UK coach John Calipari said Sheppard has the same trait that many of his best former NBA players had in that he stays even-keeled and he continues to work on his weaknesses. One of those shortcomings in high school was 3-point shooting.
"He was never a knockdown shooter," said Calipari, who added that Sheppard has put in the extra time working on his shot to develop the confidence he has now in shooting it.
Sheppard's performance against the Canes is really not that surprising if you’ve been paying attention.
He came off the bench and steadied UK in its Champions Classic matchup with Kansas after the Jayhawks pounced on the Cats early in the game when they looked uncertain.
He followed that with a season-high 25 points, including 7 of 8 from beyond the 3-point line, in their win over Stonehill.
"Reed, his game is just natural," Reeves said.
Miami is no Stonehill. Despite the final score, the Hurricanes are considered a top-10 team for a reason. They returned several key pieces from their squad that made the Final Four last season.
Sheppard helped contain one of them: Miami guard Nijel Pack was shooting nearly 40% from 3-point range and was coming off a season-high 28 points against Kansas State. Against UK, he was never a factor. He was limited to two points and missed all three of his 3-point attempts.
"You might look at him (Reed) and think that, 'OK, he's not that athletic,'" Larranaga said. "You try to score on him."
Sheppard is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Rupp Arena, and the best thing about it is legacy has nothing to do with it. He's forging his own path.
More: What freshman guard D.J. Wagner's injury means for Kentucky basketball's backcourt
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball: Reed Sheppard overshadows famous father Jeff
