If Reed keeps up playing like this he's going to have to be considered for 1st team All-American.
SIAP: Kyle Tucker tweet about Reed Sheppard from yesterday.
- Thread starter crawfords corner
- Start date
He’s truly unbelievable!!! Love watching the young man play the game! GO CATS!!!
His uncanny knack for getting steals is the biggest surprise. I was expecting a standout offensively, but had no idea he also brought so much defensively.
My only complaint about Reed is that sometimes I feel he is almost TOO unselfish. He is so good- wish he would look for his shot a bit more. Against Miami he was gunning from deep- would love to see him do that a bit more!
Watching Reed is a delight. No one and I mean no one saw this coming. I watched him in high school last year and I thought ok, nice player that will be at Kentucky for a few years and will have the most emotional senior day ever.
Yup . He’s passed up a few open 3s.
I came away pretty blown away watching his high school highlights to be honest, just like holy crap this kid is a damn hooper and not who I thought he was. But at the same time with the perspective that it’s KY high school basketball, so UK is a massive, gigantic step up. His AAU performances had everyone raving too, but I really don’t put much stock in AAU analysis for anyone.
What we’re getting now is kinda what I was imagining for a junior year Reed, just ridiculously efficient with the ability to lead us to a title like his pops, but even then, you never think *this guy* (whoever that may be) could set all time efficiency records in college basketball. That he could do that as a Freshman Kentucky kid at UK, that was absolutely unfathomable to me. I had high expectations for Reed, I thought he’d start this year before he ever got to campus I thought that, and that he’d score an efficient 8-10 per game as a 3rd/4th option. If someone had said “oh well he’ll actually come off the bench and be a probable First team AA” I woulda been flabbergasted at the person’s complete and total lack of knowledge of how anything works.
With his pedigree and supporting cast its not entirely shocking that Sheppard is excelling the way he is at UK.
Its scary to imagine what these guys will be capable of together come March.
They better get us soon because time is running out to beat this team.
Its scary to imagine what these guys will be capable of together come March.
They better get us soon because time is running out to beat this team.
Time to acknowledge with his parents he was built for this!
I said the same thing, if he keeps these percentages anywhere close to what they are it’s a no brainer. His TS% is thru the roof.
Has there ever been an All American who didn’t start?
All of this and he doesn't even start. How about a piece on how good the 5 guys who start in front of Reed are? They must be pretty good too, huh?
That’s a good question, maybe our residential history buff can answer whether UK has had one at least. Jon Scott? Do you happen to have any information on this?
Last edited:
There are definitely some shots he has passed up to defer to a teammate and while I agree with your sentiment it’s also what makes him the special player he is. When we talk of players letting the game come to them Reed does this almost to perfection. I think if he played the way we all wanted him to play it might push him to forcing the action a bit more and thus see a drop in his efficiency.
Reed never gets sped up in the game. He may not make the best decision 100% but he always looks for the best possible outcome on the court, whether it be a better shot, a pass, whatever.
Using the AP All-American teams and basketball reference I went back to 1990 and couldn't find an instance of an AA who came off the bench the year they won it. That doesn't mean someone didn't slip by me, but I was thorough. So at least since 1990 the answer is no.
Here are the links if anyone wants to take it further
List of D-I Men's Basketball All-Americans - Coaches Database
Full list of D-I men's basketball AP All-Americans, including links to school pages, dating back to the first honorees for the 1947-48 season.
www.coachesdatabase.com
Basketball Statistics & History of Every Team & NBA and WNBA Players | Basketball-Reference.com
Checkout the statistics, scores & history of every team & NBA and WNBA players and more on Basketball-Reference.com
www.basketball-reference.com
Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s never happened. In fact, I can’t even think of any all-conference examples who didn’t start.Using the AP All-American teams and basketball reference I went back to 1990 and couldn't find an instance of an AA who came off the bench the year they won it. That doesn't mean someone didn't slip by me, but I was thorough. So at least since 1990 the answer is no.
Here are the links if anyone wants to take it further
List of D-I Men's Basketball All-Americans - Coaches Database
Full list of D-I men's basketball AP All-Americans, including links to school pages, dating back to the first honorees for the 1947-48 season.
Basketball Statistics & History of Every Team & NBA and WNBA Players | Basketball-Reference.com
Checkout the statistics, scores & history of every team & NBA and WNBA players and more on Basketball-Reference.com
UK’s had about the best collection of sixth man seasons of any program in the country (see Mercer 96, Lee 78, Miller 12, etc.), yet none won any significant individual honors for that season.
Maybe the closest example I can think of is Quickley being SEC POY for a season in which he began as a sixth man (as Cal ludicrously instead started Khalil Whitney). But he still ended up starting the vast majority of that season.
I don't expect him to start considering JC is our coach. He'll just have to be our "John Havlicek".
I loved his high school/AAU tape. Where I was wrong about him is I thought he did everything well, but so far, he's done everything exceptionally well.
I’m not sure but I remember a team that had two really good players that didn’t get to start in 2014-15. The very next season, one was a starter in the NBA and was first team NBA all- rookie. The other player done great things the next season too. He won SEC Player of the Year, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and 1st Team All American. Two great players but not good enough to start in front of the Harrison twins.
This team reminds a lot of that team. Two great guards that on the bench playing behind two good guards. People are saying it’s working great. We are having a great season so far. So was that 2014-15 UK team but eventually coaching decisions matter
Some of you focus way too much on whether or not a player starts. I’m glad our players are smarter than ya’ll. Sheppard is 4th in minutes (close to 3rd), and I would not be surprised to see him 2nd or 3rd by end of year.
It makes since to start the players that make the team better. Having said that, I’m not too concerned with who starts but I do wish all the guards were as unselfish as Reed Sheppard. It’s kind of crazy when your starting PG has less total assists on the season then your starting Center/Forward and two players off the bench.
What makes more “sense” is that the players start and come off the bench that gives the team their best chance to win ballgames. Cal has found the right combinations, so zip it.
The result of good genetics and being taught the proper way to play basketball. Reed has developed excellent anticipation and court awareness. He knows how to impact the game without having the ball in his hands.
I think regardless of how the remainder of his freshman season plays out his parents will advise him to return for another year. An off season of weight training and agility will better prepare Reed to compete against NBA talent.
I think regardless of how the remainder of his freshman season plays out his parents will advise him to return for another year. An off season of weight training and agility will better prepare Reed to compete against NBA talent.
That team took off whenever Whitney left. Cal decided to go with a 3 guard lineup and we became a much harder matchup.
Wagner isn’t selfish. Tre Mitchell is a great passer for a big and we run a lot of offense through him. Also DJ averages more assists. He missed a game, had a game and averages 8 fewer minutes. Your agenda is sad.
How do you know this is the “right combinations” if we’ve never tried it another way? The lineup that’s played best this season ain’t the one we start. Instead it’s clearly been the three guard lineup where Reeves is at the three alongside Reed and either Wagner or Dillingham.
It’s generally a good idea to start the lineup that plays best for you. Perhaps Cal might consider giving it a try sometime.
I’d bet the house that if you went back as far as you could and looked at the players with similar stats, not a single one came off the bench!
If Reed was coming off the bench for any other P5 team, we’d be roasting the coach on the daily, but Cal does it and it’s excuses central 😭
If Reed was coming off the bench for any other P5 team, we’d be roasting the coach on the daily, but Cal does it and it’s excuses central 😭
Same here. Didnt get all the skepticism. Kept telling friends stop trying to evaluate his competition level etc and just watch the kid move and play, he's a big time talent. It would be different if he had all the skills he has but lacked the athletic ability to play at this level, but it was clear from watching him he has that too so just not that surprised by what he's doing now. Although he is shooting is better than I thought.
He’s listed in the 1st round on the recent mock drafts. No. 15 to the Pacers on the last one I seen
Happy for Reed’s success! It’s always the dream of UK fans for a native Kentuckian to succeed on the team. And with his pedigree, it makes the story even more unique.
BBN is certainly proud of Reed. Coming off the bench and posting those numbers is quite a feat! I recall Devin Booker coming off the bench, too, and that has worked out pretty well
BBN is certainly proud of Reed. Coming off the bench and posting those numbers is quite a feat! I recall Devin Booker coming off the bench, too, and that has worked out pretty well
As far as a AA and not starting, only possible I can think of is Jason Terry. He made AA his SR. Year but may have been a starter. I know the 1st three years he was 6rh man. Dude was a straight assassin.
Yes. DJ Wagner who isn’t a selfish player averages more assists than Tre Mitchell who is an amazing passer for a big. Tre Mitchell played in 1 more game than DJ Wagner and has 2 more assists total and averages .1 fewer assists. LOL at using that to accuse a player of being selfish.
