It’s been an exciting past four years if you’ve been a North Laurel High School boys’ basketball fan.
Seeing the team cut down the nets after winning the 49th District in multiple years along with last season’s 13th Region championship, it’s been one heck of a ride.
And of course, getting to see this year’s favorite to win Mr. Basketball, and University of Kentucky signee, Reed Sheppard, play.
Sheppard enters the season as the 25th ranked player in the nation, while having hopes of becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer along with the career leading scorer in the 13th Region.
He currently has 2,931 career points, trailing North Laurel’s Peyton Broughton’s program record, 3,141 points, and Corbin’s Andrew Taylor’s 13th Region record of 3,628 points.
He also has totaled 743 rebounds, 951 assists, and 522 steals in only 129 games played.
Stats are one thing Sheppard doesn’t get caught up with.
One of the most important things to him entering the season is getting to finish his high school career playing with his teammates.
“From Bush Elementary to North Middle School, and now to the high school, my teammates and I have enjoyed playing with each other and being coach by so many different coaches throughout the whole process,” he said. “Whether it’s been soccer, baseball, basketball or football, I have enjoyed being able to play with my friends and hang out with them, and we are excited to get our senior season started at North Laurel.
“There’s nothing like playing for the community that you grew up in,” Sheppard said. “Ever since I’ve been a little boy, I’ve always been a fan of North Laurel. I’ve had many family members, even my sister played for North Laurel. My friends and I have grown up in the North Laurel school system all of our lives. We now get to play in front of all the kids that want to play for North and in front of all the local fans. That means a lot.”
Sheppard and his teammates are fresh off a 13th Region Tournament title run that saw North Laurel lose in the first round of the state tournament to Pikeville.
Sheppard said he realizes it will be tough to repeat, but he and his teammates are ready for the challenge.
“Since my eighth-grade year, the regional tournament has been very hard to win,” he admitted. “Right now, my teammates and I are focusing on getting better every day and preparing for the regional tournament because the regional tournament is always very hard to win, and this year will be no different.
“Every day has been fun from the preseason to now, we have been having fun,” Sheppard added. “We are looking forward to playing some games and being able to travel to a bunch of different places and enjoying every minute of it as we do so.”
With Sheppard signing a letter of intent to play for the University of Kentucky, he said now he and his teammates are ready for the task at ahead.
“I am very blessed to be able to go through the recruiting process and I enjoyed every minute of it, but after my visits and conversations with the Kentucky coaching staff,” he said. “I knew that’s where I wanted to go. I am very happy with my decision, but for now, I’m really looking forward to finishing out my high school career with some of my best friends.”
With the loss to Pikeville during first round of the Sweet 16 still lingering around, Sheppard said he and his teammates are focusing on the schedule ahead.
“Any time you lose a game to end your season, it stinks,” he admitted. “But right now, we are focusing on just getting better day by day and trying to prepare for the Long season ahead.
“Obviously, we want to win as many games as we can and advance as far as we can in the tournament,” Sheppard added. “Every team’s goal is to win the region tournament and the state tournament and ours is no different, but right now we are just working on getting better and coming closer as a team.”
