Cats reach out to Reed Sheppard
- Thread starter Kentuckiddy
- Start date
He's a sophomore. He has 5 offers right now, 4 of which are low level DI programs. I have no issues with Cal getting involved halfway through his sophomore year. You'd think kid was a senior and we are just getting involved by your post
Jeff can still dunk it , he does every birthday.
he definitely has a social media team reporting back to him.Double Secret Paranoia has officially set in....
![[jumpingsmile]](http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/img/emoticons/happy/happy0028.r191677.gif "Jumping Smile [jumpingsmile]")
It's not that Reed is a Soph. Reed is a UK legacy recruit. His mother and father poured themselves into UK athletics to help UK become the great athletic program that exists today (for now).
Jeff Shepherd SACRIFICED a year of playing that helped UK win another National Championship.
I know those things mean nothing to Cal because it doesn't further his legacy or boost his gigantic ego, and also means little to nothing for a lot of the fans who care more about NBA draft night than they do maintaining UK as the winningest program in NCAA history, winning another Championship, and also honoring those who have helped build this program.
But there are many of us who still care. Cal should have already extended an actual scholarship offer to a legacy recruit like Reed Shepherd.
What's he waiting on? Waiting to see if there is some high school junior he can talk into reclassifying in an effort to fill out an empty roster like the past few years?
Cal NEVER fills out his complete roster with scholarship players. That is one of the things that needs to change. And what better way to fix that problem than extending scholarship offers to UK legacy recruit that can actually play the game rather than filling the team out with walk on with a high GPA that can keep team GPA up?
If your son were a UK legacy recruit would you like to know as early as possible in the recruiting cycle that he had a scholarship offer from your school that you have given so much for? Or would you rather be left hanging, waiting to see if Cal was going to find someone " better" to give a scholarship to who doesn't give a crap about UK?
That just might pi$$ you off if you were Reed's father. Cal is taking his heart.....oh wait, Cal doesn't want to take "his" kids heart.
True BUT, there are a lot more important people ,close to the program ,that have the same feelings and DO have a way of getting it in Cals ear . It’s my experience that this board is kinda like the pulse of the UK fan base . As just an average man on street in central ky that’s knows and talks to lots of UK fans , the mood on this board accurately portrays the mood of the fan base .I think you give this board just a tiny bit too much credit.
![[winking]](http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/img/emoticons/classic/wink.r191677.gif "Winking [winking]")
If I played at UK, I wouldn't expect any special treatment for my son and I don't think Jeff and Stacy do either. I wouldn't "expect" an offer based on my success, in fact I wouldn't want it that way. The kid is most likely going to be a really good player coming out of high school, but he has 1 big school offer right now which is from Iowa. You're acting like all of these schools have offered and UK isn't even talking to him. He's not taking his heart. You're being over the top. There are absolutely things Cal needs to change, but to act like reaching out to a legacy recruit 2.5 seasons before he graduates high school is giving his parents the middle finger is way off.
I have no idea if this has been relayed to Caliparis staff but , Jeff has told me that Reed doesn’t want to be recruited to UK just because of who he is . Truthfully, if he was offered a scholarship at this point , that would be the reason.
Maybe Cal doesn’t plan on being here in 3 years?
If Cal - or any UK coach - let this kid slip to another school they should be drawn and quartered. I say get the kid and have Jeff join the coaching staff.
Absolutely. Totally agree with this. Reed may not even want to follow in his father's huge footsteps.......and that is ok.
However, this should in no way prevent Cal from offering him early and actually recruiting him to come to UK. Then, whatever Reed decides, it is ultimately his life. But UK owes it to this family to offer early and make him a priority recruit rather than an afterthought when Cal loses out on a dozen other 5 stars who really don't want to be here, and only want to be in the league, sooner rather than later.
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How can you even say that? If you truly know this family as you claim, are you telling me that Reed does not have mad basketball skills, is a polished shooter, has a good handle, and can score the basketball?
Have you watched him play in a real game? If so, what is your opinion of Reed as to his prospects as a D-1 college basketball player?
"Reed is of the age where coaches can't contact him directly. Everything goes through his high school coach. UK has been in contact to let him know they know who he is and what he's doing." Jeff Sheppard 2/14/2021
(Edit: That's paraphrased. The actual word for word quote is in the link provided by the OP)
I'm fine with not offering anyone that you haven't actually had the chance to speak to directly. Unless it's a Lebron James, can't miss type.
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Is Wagner a Sophomore in high school? Do he and Sheppard play same position?
Wow. Your projection skills are excellent. I did not say anything about other schools offering him. And, if Iowa has already offered, that might just be a good clue that the kid can actually play the game of "basketball", and not just possess all the "measurables" that seem to be a minimum requirement to play for Cal.
Reed Shepherd will not be offered D-1 scholarships because of what his mom and dad have done. He will be offered a scholarship because of his own abilities. Because Reed does possess those abilities to play at the next level, and because Cal never fills out his roster completely, and because we actually need guys who can shoot the basketball and have a high basketball IQ, it only makes sense (to me) for Cal to offer this kid a scholarship. If it doesn't work out then so be it.
But don't sit on the sidelines with this kid while you are actively recruiting other kids in this class.
I have never seen the young man play, but he is putting up some very impressive stats. Hopefully, the young fellow chooses our wildcats, but he has to do what he thinks is better for him.
Yes, both in the class of 23.
Wagner is a PG.
Sheppard is a Combo.
They can play together.
They're not sitting on the sidelines. Why do you keep acting like we are doing nothing? We literally reached out to his coach the other day. This isn't a race to see how quickly we can offer a kid. He's not going to commit to anyone right now. We are reaching out to his coaches. Aside from offering him a scholarship right now, is there anything else the staff can do to make you happy?
Only because Cal doesn’t offer sophomores. It has nothing to do with his skills. He will definitely play D-1 basketball and I’ll tell you right now , my opinions on high school basketball players are non relevant cause I suck at it . I thought Pothress was going to be another James Worthy and Boston was a potential all American, lol . Due to Covid I’ve only seen Reed play one game .
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I mean , it doesn’t matter anyway . Wagner is as one&done as it gets . I highly doubt that anyone is expecting Reed to go that route at this point.
Yes...Richard "Master Blaster" Madison and his 90 mph fastball come to mind.
That may be the first one I remember , although some said Dwight Anderson could turn out the light and get in bed before it got dark , lol .
Thanks for your honest reply. I have only seen highlights which are always good, so I was genuinely interested in hearing from someone who has actually seen the kid play.
He was as fast with the ball in his hands as any player I've ever seen play at UK
I am happy. You seem to be distressed over your buddy.
Reaching out to Reed's coaches is not the same as communicating your intentions to his parents. And before you start the Yada Yada Yada about NCAA recruiting rules, I'm pretty sure someone in the UK community is in close contact with Jeff on a regular basis that could let him know Cal's intentions for recruiting Reed.
There are several things Cal and his "staff" could do to improve the relationship with the UK fanbase. Offering a favorite son a scholarship just might be a good way to acknowledge that Cal recognizes that changes need to be made to his messed up program to get UK back on track.
To address a problem you first have to admit that there is a problem. Not sure that Cal and most of HIS followers don't even think there is a problem. Fans who are UK fans and not Cal worshipers see a big problem. 6-13 should get the attention of everyone.
I think Cal is ready for you to draw his bath.
If you think I'm a Cal first guy, you're way off. There is 100% a problem right now. Cal needs to make some major changes or things aren't going to be good. A lot of those changes are PR related, which in turn makes the lack of success this year on the court even worse. I have no problem saying that and I have said it many times on this board. I also have no problem seeing when people are nitpicking about every little thing and I'll defend Cal at times. I'm not an either or person. This is one of those times. As the poster above (who has been on top of the Reed recruiting from the get go) said, the family doesn't want a token scholarship offer because his dad played here. Whether you think it or not, it would be a token scholarship offer at this point. He's a sophomore. There is plenty of time. Cal and Kentucky have made it known to the family, via conversations with the coach, that they like what they see and are watching him. I'm still not sure why you're upset that they haven't offered him a scholarship.
While King Rex allowed his crown to become somewhat sullied after he left U.K., there's no doubt that Rex's signing with U.K. was a much-needed recruiting success in the Spring/Summer of 1986. Sutton had a very good first season at U.K. in 1985-86, after following Joe B. Hall. That team went 32-4, and was ranked No. 3 in the country, but they lost to unranked LSU in the Elite Eight. And Sutton had only one freshman recruit on that team - Irving Thomas. I recall that some folks immediately wondered about Sutton's recruiting.
In the Spring of 1986, Rex was ranked as the No. 1 HS recruit in the country. Everybody knew that there was a strong possibility that Rex would sign with Little Brother, and the recruiting pressure on Sutton was immense, with respect to Rex's recruitment -- to a point (according to my recollection) that had never been seen before and hasn't been seen since at U.K. But, as NoDef notes, Sutton got King Rex and he did indeed "pack the gyms" while he was at U.K.
It seems clear to me that the U.K. basketball program needs another, similar "jolt of enthusiasm." Reed Sheppard could certainly provide that. However, Calipari is too damned proud and too damned arrogant to go to the lengths to which Sutton went in cultivating Rex for U.K. IMHO, Calipari would never do that going after "a Kentucky boy." Calipari would rather stick it to BBN !
Now, if Calipari leaves and anybody else is coaching the 'Cats in the Fall of '22/Spring of '23, then Reed would be the obvious No. 1 U.K. target and we all might enjoy watching Reed emulate his NCAA Tournament-MVP dad playing for the 'Cats. But not if Calipari is still the coach when it comes time to recruit Reed Sheppard.
Just MHO, of course. Go 'Cats ! ! !
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Why do you think I am upset. Stating an opinion that is different from yours does not mean I am upset.
Definitely not happy where Cal has led this program, and CONCERNED that he either can't or won't make the necessary changes to right the ship. One of those changes, IMO, needs to be actually recruiting a full roster and reestablish a traditional basketball program with players in all 4 classes on the team.
We have seen how Cal has slow played every Kentucky recruit until it is too late in most instances to get them on the team. Just hoping it doesn't happen with Reed.
I think as UK fans we all mostly want the same thing, and that is to see the team succeed, but like it or not, agree with it or not, Cal has managed to accomplish something that I never thought possible.
Cal has divided the most loyal fanbase in all of collegiate sports. (Maybe a tie with Alabama football fans.) And I do not think Cal is willing or capable of bringing us back together again.
Cal and his ego are bigger than UK basketball. Just ask him.
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