Former UK basketball star Reed Sheppard attends his first Kentucky Derby, makes his pick
Following his star season as a Kentucky basketball freshman, and before his looming future as an NBA draft lottery pick, Reed Sheppard made an appearance at the 2024 Kentucky Derby on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
“Yeah, it’s been fun. I’m super excited to be here with my family,” Sheppard told the Herald-Leader’s Monica Kast during his Derby Red Carpet appearance. “This is our first time being here at the Derby so, I’m just super excited to see everybody and seeing all the races. I think it’s going to be really fun.”
As a first-timer on Derby Day, Sheppard was asked if there were any “bucket list” items he wanted to take care of at Churchill Downs.
“Not really. The main thing was just being here and being able to experience it,” Sheppard said. “You know, you get to watch it on TV and being from Kentucky you hear about it, but being able to be here for the first time I’m super excited.
Known for his analytic approach and situational awareness on the basketball court, Sheppard took a more casual stance regarding his Kentucky Derby prediction.
“I just drew Mystik Dan out of the hat so we’re just gonna stick with that,” the former UK guard said.
Mystik Dan, trained by Lexington-based Kenny McPeek, was a 20-1 shot on the morning line for the Kentucky Derby. By Saturday morning, his odds had improved to 15-1. McPeek won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday with Thorpedo Anna.
Sheppard — who on April 18 announced he would be leaving UK after one season to turn professional — captivated both UK and national college basketball fans with his play for the Wildcats during the 2023-24 season.
He averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals — leading UK in the latter two categories — last season for a Kentucky squad that went 23-10 overall, but lost both of its postseason contests in the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
Sheppard was one of only two players, along with fifth-year guard Antonio Reeves, to play in all 33 games for John Calipari’s final UK team last season.
Sheppard earned national freshman of the year honors from the USBWA and was named SEC freshman of the year by the league’s coaches.
The son of former UK basketball stars Jeff Sheppard and Stacey Reed Sheppard, the youngest Sheppard was a former in-state star at North Laurel High School in London and was a 2023 McDonald’s All-American.
The 6-foot-3 guard was a surprise star for last season’s Kentucky squad and is now projected to be one of the first selections in the 2024 NBA draft, which will be held June 26-27 in Brooklyn, New York. Sheppard has also been extended an invite to the NBA Draft Combine, which will be held later this month.
According to ESPN, Sheppard is the No. 7 available player in the draft. The 2024 NBA draft order will be officially determined at the NBA Draft Lottery on May 12.
Sheppard’s decision to turn professional came after Kentucky hired Mark Pope — who was college roommates with Reed’s father, Jeff, at UK — to be the Wildcats’ next head coach last month.
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