Reed Sheppard draws praise from Seth Davis after 3SSB Open performance

Kentucky commit Reed Sheppard made the most of his ESPN debut earlier this week, outplaying a bevy of four and five-star recruits in the Las Vegas Big Time Finale. Prior to that, Sheppard and his Midwest Basketball Team were in action at the 3SSB Open in California. Seth Davis was in the stands and named Sheppard one of his six standouts. Davis admitted he was prepared to be underwhelmed by Sheppard given all the hype, but came away “quite impressed.”

Sheppard has solid size for a lead guard. He’s a deadeye shooter and a pinpoint passer, and he almost always makes the right decision. He has a reputation for being a liability on defense, but that wasn’t true last week. Sheppard may not be a classic lockdown defender (yet), but he’s an absolute pest on the ball (he reminds me of former Maryland point guard Steve Blake in that regard), and he loves to bang bodies while grabbing defensive rebounds.

In other words, Kentucky is getting a polished, multi-year college player. For all the attention Sheppard is getting, I don’t sense that people are unrealistic about what he’s prepared to deliver. He’s not a savior (nor does Kentucky need one), and he’s not a franchise one-and-done guy, but he’s a terrific piece, and it’s easy to envision him enjoying a bright NBA future.

Seth Davis, The Athletic

Sheppard, the No. 25 player in the 2023 class in the On3 Consensus, averaged 15.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.9 steals per game on the 3SSB circuit this summer. On Tuesday night vs. fellow Kentucky commit Rob Dillingham and Team Strive For Greatness, he posted 16 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Showing off all parts of his game, he looked like the best player on the floor, which is saying something given his competition. If you missed it live, check out the highlights:

Davis’ writeup also includes some great quotes from Reed and his father Jeff on how he’ll handle the pressure of being a legacy player at Kentucky. To read those, head over to The Athletic. You’ll need a subscription.