Rumor: Ben Sheppard garnering first-round interest after combine showing
Belmont senior Ben Sheppard is reportedly beginning to garner first-round interest from teams after a strong showing at the NBA draft combine, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.
Sheppard was among the prospects that competed in the 5-on-5 scrimmages last week in Chicago, Illinois. He produced 10 points and three rebounds in his first game and followed it up with a 25-point outburst in his second appearance on Thursday.
He also emerged as one of the top performers in some other drills.
Sheppard recorded the fastest shuttle run (2.94 seconds) and ranked seventh in the three-quarter sprint (3.17 seconds). The outing in front of teams helped catapult his name up draft boards as the 21-year-old is now considered a potential first-rounder.
The full excerpt from the report:
Nobody seems to be rising more than Belmont’s Ben Sheppard. We’re hearing he’s generating first-round interest after his 25-point game on Thursday, erasing some skepticism about his production in a relatively weaker Missouri Valley Conference.
Belmont's Ben Sheppard goes off for 25 PTS in Day 2 of the #NBACombine! @BelmontMBB @WKRN
(courtesy: @espn) pic.twitter.com/sGX8CZCfry
— Samaria Terry (@samariaterry) May 18, 2023
Sheppard, who was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team, averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals on 41.5% shooting from 3-point range. He ranked third in the conference in points (603) and 16th in the country in 3-point percentage.
The 6-foot-6 guard can do a little bit of everything and dazzled in the open court. He can make every pass and put on a bit of show at the combine with vision and pinpoint accuracy. He also emerged as a tremendous shooter who can knock it down from virtually everywhere.
The combine saw several of the top prospects skip certain testing and scrimmages but Sheppard emerged as one of the top standouts from the festivities and helped himself in the process.
