Jonathan Givony explains why Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham are projected top-five picks despite coming off the bench for Kentucky

March is when college players have the opportunity to explode on the national stage and make big impressions. NBA teams and fans are all watching the NCAA Tournament, getting a glimpse of future stars in the league. While the college class may be thin at the top, people will definitely be tuning into Kentucky games.

Why? Because both Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham are considered top picks. But if you are tuning it right at tip-off, the Kentucky duo will not be out there. Even so, NBA teams love them.

“Both of these guys come off the bench for Kentucky but they’re both projected to go top five in the 2024 Draft in June,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said on Tuesday

Sheppard was recently mocked as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to the San Antonio Spurs by The Ringer. His shooting ability is what sticks out, especially following Saturday’s win against Tennessee when making seven on 10 three-pointers. There is so much more to Sheppard as a prospect, though.

“Great feel for the game,” Givony said. “Absolutely terrific pace. Handles, can change his speed. Gets to anywhere he wants. Plays a very under-control style. He’s shooting 53% on the season right now, leading college basketball. No player has done that since Glenn Rice in 1989.”

The numbers on Sheppard are quite incredible. He is averaging 12.7 points per game and is over 50% from deep this season. Sheppard is considered an excellent defender as well despite only being 6-3, 185 pounds.

As for his teammate, Givony gave a similar scouting report for Dillingham. However, there is a bit more star power with him when the moment is big. We saw Dillingham rise to the occasion in Baton Rouge against LSU, having a historic second half in what wound up being a Kentucky loss.

“Absolutely electric,” Givony said. “Handles and change of speed, gets anywhere he wants to on the floor. Can pull up off the dribble. Just a huge amount of star power and charisma. This guy has the aura to light up a college game. He’s built for the NCAA Tournament.”

Kentucky will roll into Nashville as one of the favorites to cut down the nets, looking for the program’s first SEC Tournament since 2018. Sheppard and Dillingham will be critical if the Wildcats want to extend their season into April, giving NBA people plenty of opportunities to watch them.