Reed Sheppard vs. Travis Perry Headlines Lexington's Second Chance Shootout
While the ‘Cats travel to Tuscaloosa for a huge matchup with #7 Alabama Saturday, the Commonwealth will host plenty of great high school basketball matchups. Namely, Lyon County’s Travis Perry and North Laurel’s Reed Sheppard meet in the Second Chance Shootout at Lexington Catholic on Saturday night. Let’s take a closer look at the high-profile matchup and the rest of the best in the Commonwealth.
7:00 PM- Lyon County vs. North Laurel (@Lexington Catholic)
#7 Lyon County
The two biggest Kentucky recruits in the entire state will meet in Lexington Saturday night. Junior Travis Perry is averaging 30 points per game for the Lyon County Lyons. For my money, Perry is the best scorer in the state, and can get a bucket in a multitude of ways. Travis started playing varsity basketball as a 7th grader, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Perry is now the second all-time in scoring in KHSAA history. If you haven’t been able to watch the pride of Lyon County, you must. The point guard has led the Lyons to a 12-4 record and the seventh ranking in KSR’s KY High School Basketball Week 5 Top 25. Perry is rated as a three-star, Top 100 recruit according to the On3 Consensus. Most of the interest is coming from Ole Miss, Michigan, Ohio State, and your University of Kentucky Wildcats.
Perry provided insight on how the Lyons view this opportunity to play on a big stage.
“We have played a lot of good teams and lost some games, but we will be ready for this game and it should be a great crowd because this game will be fun to watch,” he told Larry Vaught. “North Laurel likes to play fast like we do. It’s going to be fun basketball to watch.”
#12 North Laurel
On the other side of the court will be the prince of Kentucky, Reed Sheppard. The Kentucky commit has played well, but North Laurel is only 8-6 thus far. The Jaguars are in search for a signature win over a team from Kentucky after dealing with injuries and a tough schedule. Still, Sheppard is proving on the stat sheet that he is the best player that the state has produced in years. This year he is averaging 24 points and 9.2 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent overall and 33 percent (33 of 99) from 3-point range.
Recently Kentucky assistant K.T. Turner shared his thoughts on the play of Reed Sheppard/ “I think the biggest surprise is going to be Reed (Sheppard),” he told KSR. “The way he passes the ball, especially as he continues to get his shot better. He’s going to be a really good player.”
Both Perry and Sheppard have talented players alongside them. Lyon County junior guard Jack Reddick (any relation to JJ?) is averaging 19.2 points per game and junior forward Brady Shoulders is scoring a little over 18 points a game. For the Jaguars it is a steady dose of Sheppard and senior forward Ryan Davidson, who averages more than 17 points per game.
This matchup is a huge test for both programs and could provide a preview of who will be playing in Rupp. This is a chance for Travis Perry to show he is on the same level as Reed Sheppard.
5:30 PM- Male @ Lexington Catholic
The game before the huge Perry vs Sheppard matchup is a great watch in its own right. The unranked 6-7 Male Bulldogs will travel to play the #2 team in the state, Lexington Catholic.
Louisville Male Bulldogs
The 22-23 season has been an up and down for the Bulldogs. Male started the year 1-4 with losses to Trinity, DeSales, Butler, and Woodford County. Since the difficult start, the Bulldogs have won five of their last eight games. Big wins over J-Town and Spencer County could provide a turning point in the season. The next few weeks provide ample opportunities for Male to send a message to the rest of the 7th region.
Male is led by the Edelen brothers. The elder Edelen, Jack, leads the team in scoring with 18.6 ppg. The younger Edelen is only a freshman. Cole Edelen has been everything that the Bulldogs have hoped for. He comes into this Lexington Catholic matchup averaging 14 points per game. The last piece in the Male puzzle is Demetrius White. The senior guard has scored a little over 13 points per game. If Male can get output from each of the three players listed, then an upset could ensue.
#2 Lexington Catholic Knights
The Knights may be the hottest team in the entire state. Lexington Catholic has won 14 games in a row after an opening night loss to North Laurel. Just last week the Knights were crowned 2022 WGM Holiday Classic Champions. Reece Potter, a 7-foot-1 Miami (OH) commit, is impossible to stop when he gets going. Potter is making a strong case for the best big man in Kentucky this season. Not only can he score (19.8 ppg) but Potter makes rebounding look easy with nearly nine a game.
The big man is flanked by senior scorer Hudson Sparks. The 6-foot-5 forward leads the team with 30 threes made this season. Sparks can get it going from anywhere on the floor. However, the biggest surprise this season for the Knights has been junior Tyler Doyle. He recently was named MVP of the 2022 WGM Holiday Classic. Doyle averaged 15.5 PPG over the four games in the tournament. If the entire Knight cast is rolling than Lexington Catholic may very well be the best team in the state.
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