Reed Sheppard will enter the NBA draft. His Kentucky career is over.

Reed Sheppard has made the first step toward deciding what comes next in his young basketball career.

Sheppard — last year’s Kentucky Mr. Basketball and a fan favorite for the Wildcats this past season — will enter the 2024 NBA draft, and he is not leaving open the possibility to return to Lexington to play for new coach Mark Pope during the 2024-25 campaign.

The 6-foot-3 guard from London was a surprise star in his first season with the Cats, earning national freshman of the year honors from the USBWA and being named SEC freshman of the year by the league’s coaches.

Sheppard averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals — leading UK in the latter two categories — and his 28.9 minutes per game were third on the team behind only fifth-year players Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell. Sheppard and Reeves were the only two players to appear in all 33 of Kentucky’s games this past season.

Pope, who was hired last week to replace John Calipari as Kentucky’s coach, was college roommates with Jeff Sheppard — Reed’s father — a relationship that led some UK fans to hope that the Wildcat might return to Lexington for a second season, but such a move was always considered a long shot.

Jeff Sheppard was overjoyed with Pope’s hire, but he said in an interview with the Herald-Leader last week that he didn’t know how it would affect Reed’s decision.

“It’s a good question,” Sheppard said before UK even officially announced Pope as the new coach. “You know, Mark has been a friend for a long time. ... I haven’t really gotten to talk to Reed much about that. He’s trying to go through a process of gathering information to really see truly where he is. There’s obviously all kinds of talk. But with a decision like this, you can’t just listen to a little bit of talk. You really have to get concrete information. And so, we feel like we’re going through the process at the right speed.

“Will this have an impact? Or what is the timing? That’s still an unknown. It’s something that we will continue to work through. We’ll probably — as the Sheppards usually do — work through it as a family. With the door closed. And we’ll do our best to communicate when it’s the right time.”

A highly celebrated in-state recruit, Sheppard was a McDonald’s All-American last year and came to UK at No. 43 nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings for the 2023 class. He quickly outplayed that rating, appearing on NBA draft boards early in the season.

In February, the 19-year-old reached the No. 1 spot in a mock draft from The Ringer, and he’s considered to be a top-10 pick.

Sheppard would have been turning down a lucrative NBA contract had he decided to pull out of the draft. The No. 10 pick this year is due to receive about $5.5 million as a rookie and more than $17 million over his first three seasons. Sheppard would have been in line to make seven figures through NIL deals with a return to Kentucky, but such a move would have delayed his second contract in the league by one year, and it’s unlikely he could do much to raise his current draft stock with another season of college.

Sheppard made his announcement via a video on social media. Here, in full, was Sheppard’s statement:

“Big Blue Nation. I’m just a little boy from London, Kentucky, with a big dream. Playing basketball at the University of Kentucky was a huge part of my dream. I am so thankful to wear the blue and white jersey that represents my family, my friends and the hard-working, faithful fans of the Big Blue Nation. Kentucky is home. Kentucky will always be home.

“However, there is another part of my dream — to play basketball in the NBA. I believe it is time to pursue that dream; therefore I will be entering my name into the NBA draft today.

“BBN, you have been with me from Day 1, faithful and passionate. I am asking you to go with me on this journey. I’m looking forward to taking you with me. I’ll represent you with all the characteristics that make us Kentuckians: Passion, humility, perseverance, sacrifice and joy.

“And one day I’ll return. To family. To friends. To Kentucky. My home. I love you BBN. Thank you.”

In the most recent composite mock draft posted last month by HoopsHype.com, which aggregates mock drafts from most of the major national media outlets, Sheppard was rated the No. 8 pick overall and the second-best available point guard.

“I think I’ll have Reed in my top five,” one unnamed NBA executive told HoopsHype. “I think where the NBA is going, where you have to make decisions so fast, he can read the game at such a high level. Reed is a culture builder. ... Reed can come in and change the way your program looks and operates by how hard guys play, how hard guys get in the gym and work. Those things matter.”

The 2024 NBA draft order will be officially determined at the NBA Draft Lottery on May 12.

The draft lottery includes the 14 teams that did not qualifying for the 2024 playoffs. Teams likely to be picking near the top of the draft include the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards.

The draft will take place June 26-27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

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