Reed Sheppard - Evaluations by everyone ??

[megablue]

I had never seen him play until Tuesday evening and I was very impressed from the opening tip. He seems to have just about everything you could ask for in a player.

1) Basketball IQ
2) Unselfish - loves to look for his teammates
3) Ball-handling skill
4) Shooting ability
5) Great court vision - head is always looking up
6) Jumping ability
7) Nose for the ball off the glass
8) TREMENDOUS hands - very quick with them defensively - his anticipation blew me away.
9) Leadership skills
10) Cool, calm and collected

I know that is a long list of positives, but that is what I noticed throughout the game. He can play !!

No player has absolutely everything and the only question I had was regarding quickness with his feet.
Clearly, he did not appear slow or sluggish, but I didn't think he was very quick (twitchy) on his feet. I could be wrong about it.
He is smooth with the ball and protects it, but I didn't know if he will be quick enough to get where he wants and blow by folks.
Is he quick enough to play high-level defense against college-level guard talent ?? I think so, but I'm not sure 100% sure. I do think his defense will certainly be adequate, though.
REPEATING: He is DEFINITELY not slow, but I did not see him moving quickly with the ball. Perhaps he can do it. If he can, I'm not sure what other weakness he might have in his game. To me, he seems to be able to do everything !!! I must say I think he has more skill and a better body-type than Richie Farmer, fwiw.

As I watched him play, he immediately reminded me of Anthony Epps, who is a very favorite of mine.
Epps was a winner and made everyone else better when he was on the court. I see Reed the same way.

I am REALLY glad we have Reed coming and I was impressed with how he got along with everyone on the court. He seems like a great kid and a great teammate. He and Dillingham are two EXCELLENT guards and I sense they already have chemistry, which I loved.

It would be so cool if Reed could help us win a Natty, just like his Father did. That would be UNREAL !!!

What are everyone else's impressions and detailed evaluations ???

 

[Kybluedude]

He’s one of those players that doesn’t get sped up. That’s a tremendous asset. Fantastic up the court passer. Crafty.
Plenty fast. Gets where he wants on the court and finished at the rim many times. All he needs is a screen to get in the lane. Smart on d and takes good angles. IQ off the charts.

Gonna be very very good. Calm. Great role model for young Ky kids.

 

[STL_Cat]

Not as explosive of an athlete as his dad, but looks very under control and has great court vision. I can't wait to watch him develop here.

 

[jgraf_1]

first time i watched him was tuesday. i was impressed with his anticipation and quickness on defense. i also liked that he didn't seem to get himself into trouble. kept his dribble alive, kept his head up. and when he didn't have the ball in his hand he was still aggressive to move without the ball and to get open--specifically the cuts made to the basket as a guy was driving baseline and he got an easy layup.

 

[H00SIER-Cat]

He's a Kentucky kid. That alone is all some of BBN need to know.

 

[davekersey]

Only thing I would add to the op list is that he makes his teammates better on the court, and off.

 

[bnewt]

Only thing I would add to the op list is that he makes his teammates better on the court, and off.

That may be his most important asset other than being a true basketball player

 

[struggler]

I'll add WELL COACHED.... Tremendous understanding of offense. Please let that be contagious, accepted and appreciated.

Plays TEAM on a team that plays TEAM - all with clearly a commitment to the coaching plan and trust in each other as players. Was a pleasure to watch really... less posing, flexing and strutting... more quick smart plays and satisfaction with expected team success. So over the "look at me" gestures after what should be expected success. That was outclassing your opponent from the jump.

 

[MrHotDice]

Not as explosive of an athlete as his dad, but looks very under control and has great court vision. I can't wait to watch him develop here.

You remember his dad as a 5th year college senior. This kid is a HS Junior.

 

[rwbloomjr]

You remember his dad as a 5th year college senior. This kid is a HS Junior.

No sir...

I remember a video of Jeff dunking in a High School contest (I think it was actually in the Boston Garden). He jumped over a kid in the middle of the lane.

Reed is athletic as a rising Senior, but not anything close to his pops....

I also think Reed is more PG than SG....and in some (most?) situations, we will be better off with him running the show compared Dillingham. Dillingham is an elite talent but will he make "winning" decisions? Reed is not the physical talent of Dillingham but makes "winning" plays.

Regards

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

No sir...

I remember a video of Jeff dunking in a High School contest (I think it was actually in the Boston Garden). He jumped over a kid in the middle of the lane.

Reed is athletic as a rising Senior, but not anything close to his pops....

I also think Reed is more PG than SG....and in some (most?) situations, we will be better off with him running the show compared Dillingham. Dillingham is an elite talent but will he make "winning" decisions? Reed is not the physical talent of Dillingham but makes "winning" plays.

Regards

Jeff was freak. Dude could fly.

 

[blue woman]

Daddy Shep won the Georgia state HS high jump. Jeff could SKY.

Baby Shep is no where close to daddy athletically--not in the same area code.

Jeff high jumped 7 feet in high school in 1993

DyeStat - Georgia Alltime Lists

rr

 

[DreadLox]

Something that hasn't been mentioned is that he doesn't dawdle. He recognizes the situation, knows how to exploit it, and then does it.

And this is probably irrelevant, but he has this little characteristic way of throwing the long pass. A chest pass that gets down court as fast as an overhead pass. It's fun to watch.

Of course, the only thing I've ever seen of him is that highlight clip from the game the other night. Shooting, team work, and on-time passes. The number of 3s meant it was modern play, but everything else about the game screamed "Old School."

 

[STL_Cat]

You remember his dad as a 5th year college senior. This kid is a HS Junior.

No, I remember his dad as the Georgia state high jump champion with a high jump of over 7' ... in high school.

I'm far from running Reed down. I think at this stage he looks like a much more polished basketball player than his dad, just not as explosive of an athlete. Jeff was an uber elite athlete in high school.

 

[Kybluedude]

Reed has much more bball iq and skills than dad had in HS. Better ball handler, shooter, dribbler, assist ability and know how. Better all around player. Better pace of play.

I expect UK to give him a workout routine that will improve him physically along with continuing to mature.

 

[mebeblue2]

No, I remember his dad as the Georgia state high jump champion with a high jump of over 7' ... in high school.

I'm far from running Reed down. I think at this stage he looks like a much more polished basketball player than his dad, just not as explosive of an athlete. Jeff was an uber elite athlete in high school.

i remember when JS signed with UK, Pitino said before he was done at UK he would be a fan favorite (maybe the only time he was 100% truthful)
i also remember he said Rex was his favorite player and if i and not mistaken he wore a Rex jersey during a warm-up

i agree RS does not have the hops his dad did, but very few do

 

[1Catmantoo]

I had never seen him play until Tuesday evening and I was very impressed from the opening tip. He seems to have just about everything you could ask for in a player.

1) Basketball IQ
2) Unselfish - loves to look for his teammates
3) Ball-handling skill
4) Shooting ability
5) Great court vision - head is always looking up
6) Jumping ability
7) Nose for the ball off the glass
8) TREMENDOUS hands - very quick with them defensively - his anticipation blew me away.
9) Leadership skills
10) Cool, calm and collected

I know that is a long list of positives, but that is what I noticed throughout the game. He can play !!

No player has absolutely everything and the only question I had was regarding quickness with his feet.
Clearly, he did not appear slow or sluggish, but I didn't think he was very quick (twitchy) on his feet. I could be wrong about it.
He is smooth with the ball and protects it, but I didn't know if he will be quick enough to get where he wants and blow by folks.
Is he quick enough to play high-level defense against college-level guard talent ?? I think so, but I'm not sure 100% sure. I do think his defense will certainly be adequate, though.
REPEATING: He is DEFINITELY not slow, but I did not see him moving quickly with the ball. Perhaps he can do it. If he can, I'm not sure what other weakness he might have in his game. To me, he seems to be able to do everything !!! I must say I think he has more skill and a better body-type than Richie Farmer, fwiw.

As I watched him play, he immediately reminded me of Anthony Epps, who is a very favorite of mine.
Epps was a winner and made everyone else better when he was on the court. I see Reed the same way.

I am REALLY glad we have Reed coming and I was impressed with how he got along with everyone on the court. He seems like a great kid and a great teammate. He and Dillingham are two EXCELLENT guards and I sense they already have chemistry, which I loved.

It would be so cool if Reed could help us win a Natty, just like his Father did. That would be UNREAL !!!

What are everyone else's impressions and detailed evaluations ???

 

[CELTICAT]

The kind of guy that would be in the discussion for NPOY as an upperclassman at Duke.

 

[Tubbyfan78]

My favorite part about Reed is he feels like a cog in machine. He’s not trying to do it all by himself. He reminds me of a Darrius Miller or Jeff Sheppard type player. He’s the type of kid you need on a championship team.

 

[HerrosHeroes]

If he was a Duke recruit he would be in the top 10 of every recruiting platform out there.

 

[HerrosHeroes]

My favorite part about Reed is he feels like a cog in machine. He’s not trying to do it all by himself. He reminds me of a Darrius Miller or Jeff Sheppard type player. He’s the type of kid you need on a championship team.

Jeff Sheppard won FF MVP in 1998 so Id say he was a big cog at least.

 

[Tubbyfan78]

Jeff Sheppard won FF MVP in 1998 so Id say he was a big cog at least.

There’s no doubt. He was a key piece but he was arguably not the best player on that team. He went white hot in the tourney though and did a lot of the heavy lifting. For 99% of Jeff’s career he was a cog in the machine. It’s not intended as an insult. Those two guys were ridiculously good and UK has 2 less titles without them.

 

[HagginHall1999]

He reminds me of his dad.

 

[shaudyshaud]

Very good recruiter also

 

[shaudyshaud]

Cal won’t play him because he is white and from KY. Cal will play some athlete with no fundamentals and who cannot shoot over him…once he puts him in he will say he can’t play defense and yank him once he misses a 3pt attempt.

Oh brother

 

[lj bulldog]

I had never seen him play until Tuesday evening and I was very impressed from the opening tip. He seems to have just about everything you could ask for in a player.

1) Basketball IQ
2) Unselfish - loves to look for his teammates
3) Ball-handling skill
4) Shooting ability
5) Great court vision - head is always looking up
6) Jumping ability
7) Nose for the ball off the glass
8) TREMENDOUS hands - very quick with them defensively - his anticipation blew me away.
9) Leadership skills
10) Cool, calm and collected

I know that is a long list of positives, but that is what I noticed throughout the game. He can play !!

No player has absolutely everything and the only question I had was regarding quickness with his feet.
Clearly, he did not appear slow or sluggish, but I didn't think he was very quick (twitchy) on his feet. I could be wrong about it.
He is smooth with the ball and protects it, but I didn't know if he will be quick enough to get where he wants and blow by folks.
Is he quick enough to play high-level defense against college-level guard talent ?? I think so, but I'm not sure 100% sure. I do think his defense will certainly be adequate, though.
REPEATING: He is DEFINITELY not slow, but I did not see him moving quickly with the ball. Perhaps he can do it. If he can, I'm not sure what other weakness he might have in his game. To me, he seems to be able to do everything !!! I must say I think he has more skill and a better body-type than Richie Farmer, fwiw.

As I watched him play, he immediately reminded me of Anthony Epps, who is a very favorite of mine.
Epps was a winner and made everyone else better when he was on the court. I see Reed the same way.

I am REALLY glad we have Reed coming and I was impressed with how he got along with everyone on the court. He seems like a great kid and a great teammate. He and Dillingham are two EXCELLENT guards and I sense they already have chemistry, which I loved.

It would be so cool if Reed could help us win a Natty, just like his Father did. That would be UNREAL !!!

What are everyone else's impressions and detailed evaluations ???

Reminds me of a more athletic Kyle Macy.

 

[FtWorthCat]

Reminds me of a more athletic Kyle Macy.

Actually Travis Perry reminds me more of Macy. Sheppard reminds me of his Dad, but with a more well rounded game at this stage.

 

[rwbloomjr]

Cal won’t play him because he is white and from KY. Cal will play some athlete with no fundamentals and who cannot shoot over him…once he puts him in he will say he can’t play defense and yank him once he misses a 3pt attempt.

I'm not a fan of our Coach at all, but he doesn't see black and white. If he "sees" anything, it's green room or no green room.

Reed is too fundamentally sound and discipline for Cal not to play him quality minutes.

Regards

 

[Catzman]

He’s one of those players that doesn’t get sped up. That’s a tremendous asset. Fantastic up the court passer. Crafty.
Plenty fast. Gets where he wants on the court and finished at the rim many times. All he needs is a screen to get in the lane. Smart on d and takes good angles. IQ off the charts.

Gonna be very very good. Calm. Great role model for young Ky kids.

He reminds me of the kind of players you'd see on Creighton or one of the old day Butler teams lead by Brad Steven's who scores 20ppg as an upper classman as they make a Cinderella-esque run deep in the tournament. I'm glad to finally have one of those guys. I love his game. If he was Tyler Herro sized he'd be a top 15 player or maybe higher.

 

[Kybluedude]

He reminds me of the kind of players you'd see on Creighton or one of the old day Butler teams lead by Brad Steven's who scores 20ppg as an upper classman as they make a Cinderella-esque run deep in the tournament. I'm glad to finally have one of those guys. I love his game. If he was Tyler Herro sized he'd be a top 15 player or maybe higher.

Kinda like a better Colin Gillespie at Villanova. That guy was a leader. Not the most athletic but super good. Knew how to play.

 

[HerrosHeroes]

View embedded media

Very good recruiter also

That would be damn near the 6 best Freshman in America. Anyone that thinks UK couldn't contend for a NT with those 6 is sadly mistaken.

 

[K_TIME]

Reed - better ball handler, probably better bball IQ, way better passer, a bit better pure shooter
Jeff - way better athlete....but was somewhat robotic.

Reed was impressive vs. SFH this week but he was also abused in sweet 16 gams as well. Exposed with his foot speed when floor spread out vs. smaller and quicker guards. I think Reed is a gem to get to UK....if we surround him with the usual UK talent...he'll likely make them and the team a ton better as a whole than the pieces.

 

[Cobb4uk]

On thing I've noticed after watching him several times, he moves really well without the ball on both sides of the ball, which allows him to see the whole floor all the time. His understanding of where to be on the floor allows him to take advantage of mistakes, both offensively and defensively, that's why he's so well rounded, assist, rebounding, steals and scoring. There are times he has a little trouble with extremely quick guards, as most everyone has. Don't think he will leave early but will be a multi year player that will improve yearly, that other players will want to play with.

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

We know now he will be our best guard coming in. Did not expect that. There couldn't be too many guards that strong in all facets of the games. Dillingham, Wagner and anybody else coming in may be strong in two or three parts of the game but Sheppard is just far advanced in fundamentals and has a high educated mentality on how to play the game.

 

[HagginHall1999]

Laughable that someone on this board thinks Cal won't play Reed because of his skin color or because he is from KY.. Delusional.

Reed will get minutes here Day 1. He will end up being a top 15-20 recruit by end of season.

Currently 28th on ESPN, 21st on Rivals, 26th, 247, 39 on3.

These rankings are very similar to Tyler Herro.

Also, when is the last time a KY high school player was ranked in Top 25 as a consensus?

 

[chevyman 50]

Reed can do it all and a Ky kid even makes it better, glad he going to be a cat.

 

[Fox2monk]

He never gets sped up, and he’s a willing passer. He’s a good shooter, has great hands, especially on the defensive end. I think he will be a better college defender than most think he will be. His lateral quickness may not be the best which is something he will work on I’m sure but he has plenty of athletic ability to thrive at the next level. He just looks like he has all the tools necessary to be a great 2-3 year college player with a chance at the NBA one day.

 

[Fox2monk]

Laughable that someone on this board thinks Cal won't play Reed because of his skin color or because he is from KY.. Delusional.

Reed will get minutes here Day 1. He will end up being a top 15-20 recruit by end of season.

Currently 28th on ESPN, 21st on Rivals, 26th, 247, 39 on3.

These rankings are very similar to Tyler Herro.

Also, when is the last time a KY high school player was ranked in Top 25 as a consensus?

On3 needs to redo his spot something fierce, he’s easily top 25 five star. The other rankings show that and he plays better on bigger stages and with better talent on the court. He’s a guy who elevates his game which is what you want.

 

[chroix]

Somewhere between a Kermit and a Daffy.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I'm not a fan of our Coach at all, but he doesn't see black and white. If he "sees" anything, it's green room or no green room.

Reed is too fundamentally sound and discipline for Cal not to play him quality minutes.

Regards

Calipari plays the best players and Reed will get plenty of playtime.

The other poster is a troll and should be paid no mind by any of us. We have not had a white KY player of Shep's caliber during Calipari's entire tenure here come through the state IMO, and Calipari has certainly played KY players like Miller, Willis & Hawkins that earned the time over the years. Allen even got about 15-18 minutes a game against those terrible sub-300 cupcakes our fans love to bitch about concerning Calipari's scheduling, and he was terrible against them all for the most part and that is why he didn't play much the rest of the season.