Reed Sheppard sharing college decision with his community
Reed Sheppard will make his college decision bright and early on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at North Laurel High School. And there’s a good reason why. The Kentucky native wants to share his special moment with members of his London-area community.
Over the last four Saturdays, North Laurel has hosted what is known as the “Junior Jags Basketball Camp”, an homage to the high school’s Jaguars mascot. From 9-10:30 a.m., North Laurel players help lead and teach campers, who range in age from kindergarten to fifth grade. This Saturday will be the fifth and final session of the season.
North Laurel has hosted the Junior Jags camp for years now, and current head coach Nate Valentine continued the tradition when he took over the program in 2019. The camps have provided an excellent opportunity for community engagement and making connections, particularly with a budding star in Sheppard.
The opportunity to share his commitment ceremony with the kids he’s gotten to know over the last several Saturdays was too much to pass up for Sheppard.
“Reed had the idea that he wanted to have those kids in that camp as part of his announcement,” Valentine told KSR earlier this week. “So that’s how we got to the early Saturday morning deal. He wanted all those kids to be a part of it. It’ll be a special day not only for Reed and his family, but for our entire basketball program.”
When Sheppard does make his decision on Saturday, he’ll likely pick between a group of Kentucky, Virginia, Ohio State, Indiana, and Louisville. Those are the five schools with high mutual interest. Just a day from his announcement, all signs are pointing toward the in-state product staying home. Nine Crystal Ball picks and five FutureCast predictions are currently in place for Sheppard to land with UK.
If Sheppard does indeed pick the ‘Cats, he would be the first pickup from the 2023 class for head coach John Calipari. The 6-foot-3 combo guard is considered a top 25 player in the country and a four-star recruit. Most major outlets view him as the top overall prospect out of Kentucky, regardless of age.
He’s not just the son of former Wildcat great Jeff Sheppard; Reed is the real deal.
His announcement comes just in time for the start of Sheppard’s junior season. North Laurel will kick off its 2021-22 campaign on Nov. 29 at home against Red Bird. But there was never any real indication that Sheppard was close to a decision until White, Greer & Maggard (a central Kentucky-based orthodontics company) got involved. We’re sure his Bob Ross impersonation or attempt at reading to children videos have crossed your social media feed at some point.
In the latest video, Sheppard announced that a decision was on the way.
“I think the primary thing is he was really diligent in his recruiting process and I don’t think there was really a deadline to it,” Valentine said. “It was just he went through the process and let the process take care of itself. He went on visits, met with coaches, and went on several campuses. I don’t think he put a timeline on himself he just wanted to find the right fit; where he felt comfortable.”
Sheppard was on the go in October, taking a visit to Lexington for Big Blue Madness and trips to Ohio State and Louisville, all in the same weekend. Kentucky and Virginia coaches have been in and out of North Laurel the last few months to check in on Sheppard. He learned everything he needed to learn during that time, and is now ready to make a decision.
“He’s just a really good kid,” Valentine added. “What you see is what you get. He’s a great kid and he’s a great role model for the younger kids in our community. That’s just who Reed is. People gravitate to him because of his personality and he’s extremely humble.”
KSR will have feet on the ground at North Laurel to bring you all the coverage from the ceremony. Make sure to get up early and celebrate a hopeful commitment and then a Kentucky Football win.
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