Jeff Sheppard's black and blue ankle in '98

[catrecruit]

Happened against Arkansas on March 8th and he played 5 days later.....Now it might not have been a 'high' ankle sprain, but the pictures of it were disgusting.

I couldn't believe he played so soon after the injury...

Where's Fast Eddie when we need him!!!?

 

[WindyCityWildcat]

One of my favorite Cats and also very underrated for what he accomplished here.

 

[fabcat]

I remember that it looked awful. Remember them talking about treatment basically 24 hours a day. Getting the blood flowing thru the ankle make it bruise up like it did. Also helped it heal quicker. I remember them talking about Fast Eddie messaging his ankle for hours trying to get the blood flowing and working the soreness out of his ankle. It was amazing he came back that quick and didn't seem to have any after effects of it. Shep played like a man possessed during that Championship run.

 

[Blueathletics]

Thinking that was 18 years ago blows my mind

 

[2Adulterers]

Happened against Arkansas on March 8th and he played 5 days later.....Now it might not have been a 'high' ankle sprain, but the pictures of it were disgusting.

I couldn't believe he played so soon after the injury...

Where's Fast Eddie when we need him!!!?

Fast Eddie Gameil one of my favorite characters,,,and a helluva Trainer as well..

 

[Bank Cat]

Shep off the curl at the top of the key...Stanford game. Oddly, one of least talked about classic games ever. OT win by 2.

 

[Kycatspaws]

 

[Nubb16]

Played his ass off every game. And a really nice guy when I've met him.

 

[KyCatFan]

He was one of the best shooters ever here coming off the curl.

 

[Chuckinden]

If he played in today's game, he would be a lottery pick.

 

[Ukgold]

I can remember that games against Florida where he slaps the court with his hands while guarding someone. I think it was a home game, might have been senior day even. Shep definitely one of my all time favs. Dude had game.

 

[howercat]

was a good one

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

Won MVP of the 98 Final Four.

 

[Maubris]

My favorite Cat ever. His telling the ref, "if number (I don't remember which number) hits me again, it's on." And the ref started calling fouls against the guy. That is how you get it done.

 

[Skutt]

My favorite Cat ever. His telling the ref, "if number (I don't remember which number) hits me again, it's on." And the ref started calling fouls against the guy. That is how you get it done.

You're turning into a fav poster. Tell me ur a St. Louis Cardinal fan and I'm in.

 

[W2R]

I know we have a few physical therapists and trainers on the board.....please correct me if I'm wrong

I remember some treatments back in the day it was like the inflatable casts type, Filled with cold air and pushed the swelling away from injury. ( also caused severe bruising throughout the area since it forced the swelling and blood away). ( ankle per say bruising colors would go all the way up the calf) Some had great success but I remember blood clots being a problem and the risks involved. Don't know if this is still a way of treatment or not

 

[Maubris]

Sorry, Reds fan here. Let the hating begin.

 

[UKrazycat2]

One of my all time favorites. Georgia boy could flat out jump.

 

[treyforuk]

Here you go, Ugo. Toughen up.

 

[TweakyTweak]

Didn’t some chick sue UK for sexual discrimination because she said Fast Eddie was less qualified than her when they hired him?

 

[saxonburgcat]

Thinking that was 18 years ago blows my mind

Knowing that his son is now playing for us blows my mind!

 

[Wonky]

One of my all time favorites. Georgia boy could flat out jump.

Imagine trying to contest his jumper. Keep in mind, Michael Doleac is 6’11”.

 

[Catfan in Tn.]

Thinking that was 18 years ago blows my mind

25 years, one remarkable player.

 

[HerrosHeroes]

Lets face it Shep carried that team the last 3 games v Duke, Stanford and Utah.

One of the all time great NCAA performances by a UK player.

 

[ULisnotmyman]

Here you go, Ugo. Toughen up.

What a dumb comment

 

[treyforuk]

What a dumb comment

Shut up. It was in jest. That would be like me saying your handle is dumb.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Medicine certainly evolved since then so that isn't the issue. I think the issue is two fold:

1) these kids play an insane amount of basketball from early on. That adds wear and tear for sure.

2) no matter what cal says, most of these kids are massively focused on the NBA. Their families and hangers on definitely are. So even the slightest tweak and everyone in their circle gets super anxious and then it all snowballs

 

[Creed Bratton]

Thinking that was 18 years ago blows my mind

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Was playing on Haggin Court one day in fall of 93. Who walks up to run a game - Jeff Sheppard and Anthony Epps (they looked to be coming from The Commons, just walking by). They were both amazingly good of course. Highlight of the game - Jeff dunked on me so hard I almost blacked out. I tried to get out of the way, but it was so fast I didn’t have time to move. He grabbed the ball and tossed it to me as I walked out of bounds and just smiled. Dude jumped so high on his jump shot. He was unreal athletically. Jeff and Anthony’s team won 21-2. They left after the one game, and never broke a sweat. It was really cool. Anthony was the biggest trash talker, Jeff was quiet.

 

[UKrazycat2]

Was playing on Haggin Court one day in fall of 93. Who walks up to run a game - Jeff Sheppard and Anthony Epps (they looked to be coming from The Commons, just walking by). They were both amazingly good of course. Highlight of the game - Jeff dunked on me so hard I almost blacked out. I tried to get out of the way, but it was so fast I didn’t have time to move. He grabbed the ball and tossed it to me as I walked out of bounds and just smiled. Dude jumped so high on his jump shot. He was unreal athletically. Jeff and Anthony’s team won 21-2. They left after the one game, and never broke a sweat. It was really cool. Anthony was the biggest trash talker, Jeff was quiet.

Silent assassin. His game spoke volumes.

 

[tug1543]

 

[tug1543]

I was at the 1998 ncaa regional games played in the Georgia Dome, Atlanta. Shepard's ankle was black and blue almost to his knee. They beat UCLA in that game by about 30 pts. Shepard had a great game. I think it was that same game that a UCLA player was trying to bully Shepard and Scott Padgett told him to "bring him to me". Shepard ran him into a Padgett screen and Scott knocked the bully on his duff. I heard Padgett discuss that on a podcast or interview some years ago. Two of my all time favorite wildcats.
I also attended the 1998 SEC tournament game in the Ga dome about two weeks before the UCLA game. I sat right behind the Alabama bench. In that game Maglore got into early foul trouble and Nazr sustained an injury forcing Tubby to insert the 6'10" thrid string center(can't remember his name) who later transferred to Villanova and became an all american. This guy proceeded to score about ten quick points, grabbed about 6 rebounds and essentially won the game for the cats. David Hobbs, the Alabama coach, after watching the 3rd string center put on a hell of a show walked over and got in the faces of his asst coaches and said "who in the hell is this guy none of you even had him on the scouting report". He ripped them a new one and I heard every word of it since I was only about two rows back. This same player got into a tiff with Donna Smith{Tubby's wife} which reportedly was a factor in his decision to transfer. I never heard what the issue was even though I have seen several posts about the incident.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Michael Bradley. Ended up going 17th overall in draft when he left Nova. He was pretty good.

 

[TeoJ]

Michael Bradley. Ended up going 17th overall in draft when he left Nova. He was pretty good.

Didn't his father compsare him to Larry Bird?

 

[pauled]

Different kind of guys playing 18-20 years ago! They are soft as Charmin now days!

 

[Kuhldaddy]

I remember that it looked awful. Remember them talking about treatment basically 24 hours a day. Getting the blood flowing thru the ankle make it bruise up like it did. Also helped it heal quicker. I remember them talking about Fast Eddie messaging his ankle for hours trying to get the blood flowing and working the soreness out of his ankle. It was amazing he came back that quick and didn't seem to have any after effects of it. Shep played like a man possessed during that Championship run.

Yes. I was in Atlanta for the SEC tournament. Heard Jeff slept on the training table and the trainer alternated heat/ice all nite. Miraculous recovery led us to the 98 championship.

 

[rick64]

I think he pretty much lived in the training room 24/7 to be able to play so quickly.

 

[gharding07]

Here you go, Ugo. Toughen up.

when men were men..

 

[KyCatFan]

Shepard had a great game. I think it was that same game that a UCLA player was trying to bully Shepard and Scott Padgett told him to "bring him to me". Shepard ran him into a Padgett screen and Scott knocked the bully on his duff.

 

[BikerTrash22]

Shep sacrificed his senior season in 97 for the betterment of the team. I think we win it all that year if he was DAs backup, but thankfully he got to to do it it the next year and be the star! I hope little shep can do it again, like father like son!