By ADAM ZAGORIA
Kentucky freshman guard Reed Sheppard declared for the NBA Draft on Thursday.
The 6-foot-3 Kentucky native averaged 12.5 points 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists in his lone season in college, shooting 54% from the field and 52% from deep.
He is the projected No. 7 pick per ESPN.com and follows fellow freshman guard Rob Dillingham into the Draft.
“I’m going all-in,” Sheppard told ESPN.com. “The opportunity I have is great. I’ve gotten really good feedback showing where I can be in the draft. I had an unbelievable year at Kentucky. It was such a fun year. It’s not easy leaving the fans and the school I dreamed of playing at. I need to do what’s best for me, and that’s heading to the NBA.”
Thank you
pic.twitter.com/k6Np3GyYr2
— reed sheppard (@reed_sheppard) April 18, 2024
Sheppard had the option of returning to Kentucky under new coach Mark Pope, a teammate and roommate of his father, Jeff Sheppard at Kentucky.
But as a projected Top-10 pick he is leaving for the NBA after one season in which Kentucky was upset by Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“The goal at Kentucky is to play for a national championship,” Sheppard told ESPN. “I thought we had a good shot at it. Our team was special, and losing the way we did was hard. All the relationships we built and how close we were made this decision a lot harder.”
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