Where Reed Sheppard stands in NBA Draft projections
With Reed Sheppard officially announcing that he will be entering the 2024 NBA Draft, many NBA mock drafts still have him going in the lottery, so it’s no surprise to see he’s all-in on the pros.
Before the season started, many thought Sheppard would be a multi-year player, but nobody saw what was coming for his future in his only season with the Kentucky Wildcats.
Throughout the season, Sheppard was a team player and would help the Cats as much as he could to be successful, even after it was clear he was the team’s best player.
“Whatever coach tells me to do, whether it’s to go get a stop or get some water, I’m down to do it as long it helps the team be successful,” said Sheppard.
Sheppard finishes his UK career averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game, though those numbers only begin to tell how impactful he was.
Here’s a roundup of where Sheppard stands in the most recent mock drafts, all of which have him going in the top 10.
With Sheppard passing many expectations, it isn’t a surprise that he is listed to be drafted in the top 10 in this upcoming year’s draft, and if he tests well in the NBA Draft Combine, Sheppard could make sure he becomes a top-five pick in the draft.
REPORT: Jordan Burks enters transfer portal
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky basketball’s roster continues to change, as Jordan Burks has reportedly entered the transfer portal after spending his freshman season with the Wildcats. Jamie Shaw with On3 Sports and Travis Branham with 24/7 Sports were among the first to report.
In his lone season in Lexington, Burks saw limited playing time. He checked into 20 games throughout the course of the season and averaged 7.1 minutes per outing, to go with 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds. His best game as a Wildcat came in the form of a 13-point performance against Vanderbilt, when he went a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor and added five rebounds against the Commodores.
The 6’8″ freshman is a Decatur, Alabama native who finished his high school basketball career at Overtime Elite, where he led the league with 27.1 points per game in 2022-23.
Burks is the final Wildcat from last season’s roster to make his decision; no scholarship players from last year’s team are certainly set to return to Kentucky next season, although Adou Thiero is also currently in the portal and is reportedly still considering a return to UK.
Antonio Reeves, Tre Mitchell and Brennan Canada have exhausted their collegiate eligibility; Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, Justin Edwards and Ugonna Onyenso have declared for the NBA Draft. Burks is joining Aaron Bradshaw (Ohio State), Zvonimir Ivisic (Arkansas), Joey Hart (Ball State) and DJ Wagner (undecided) in the portal.
For the latest on the Wildcats, watch BBN Tonight weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on LEX 18, statewide on your local UK Sports Network affiliates, or watch all the time on BBNTonight.com
