LEXINGTON — Former North Laurel star, and University of Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard continues to turn heads after playing a big role in No. 12 Wildcats’ 95-73 win over No. 8 Miami (Florida) at Rupp Arena on Tuesday.
Sheppard totaled 21 points, his second 20-point game of the season, while adding five rebounds, four assists and three steals. He led Kentucky in plus/minus at +35, and he has had at least two steals in every game this season.
Sheppard’s play caught Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga’s eye. He stated both Sheppard and Rob Dillingham are “two NBA guys.”
“Those guys are pretty good. I’d say those two guys are, I mean Reed ended up starting in the second half,” he said. “I mean, those are two NBA guys. They’re terrific college players, but they’ll play beyond for sure. They can shoot it, they handle it, they share it extremely well. And I think that’s what’s impressive about Kentucky’s offense is how well they share the ball. They had 26 assists and we had eight, it’s not a good stat for us.”
When asked what makes Sheppard so difficult to guard, Larrañaga was complimentary of the freshman’s game.
“He’s so good at everything. I mean he can shoot it, he can handle it, he can pass it,” he said. “He finds the open man great and he defends you know, you might look at him and think that okay, he’s not that athletic. You try to score on him, but he’s moving his feet using his hands and doing a great job at the defensive end of the floor as well. He comes up with a lot of deflections and steals as well. He had four assists and one turnover and then Dillingham had nine assists and no turnovers. That’s a pretty good night from your bench. They don’t start.”
Sheppard was his normal self after the win, commenting on the Rupp Arena crowd, and the players of his teammates, shying away from his +35 effort.
“The crowd was unbelievable,” he said. “I don’t think they sat down. It was so loud. From the first possession to the last possession, they made a huge impact on the game. They made it tough for Miami to run plays. It will be a moment we will never forget.
“I don’t really worry about any of that,” Sheppard added when asked about his plus/minus. “I do everything I can to help my team to make the right play. With these dudes around me, it is easy. We were hitting shots left and right tonight and everyone was passing and having fun. We are going to enjoy this win tonight. Then get back at it tomorrow. We knew we had a good team and now we know for sure we have a good team. We just need to keep doing the little things, keep sharing the ball, keep passing it around. It’s going to be a fun season.”
