Pros and cons of Reed Sheppard returning to Kentucky: Should Wildcats freshman play for Mark Pope in 2024-25?

Sheppard ranks as the No. 5 prospect in CBS Sports’ NBA Draft prospect rankings

A new era in Kentucky basketball is on the horizon after longtime coach John Calipari stepped away from the program to take the job at Arkansas. Just days after Calipari’s stunning exit, UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart zeroed in on BYU coach Mark Pope to succeed him. 

Pope has deep ties to the Bluegrass State dating back to his time as a player from 1994-96. Pope was teammates and roommates with Jeff Sheppard, the father of current Kentucky star Reed Sheppard. The younger Sheppard has yet to decide whether to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft or return to Kentucky for his sophomore season.

“It’s a good question,” Jeff Sheppard told the Lexington Herald-Leader on Friday. “You know, Mark has been a friend for a long time. I don’t know. Last night was a late night, and I haven’t really gotten to talk to Reed much about that. He’s trying to go through a process of gathering information to really see truly where he is. There’s obviously all kinds of talk.”

Sheppard ranks as the No. 5 prospect on CBS Sports’ NBA Draft prospect rankings. Sheppard was named CBS Sports Freshman of the Year after averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.5 steals.

Here are a few pros and cons of Sheppard returning to Kentucky for another season.

Pro: Strong connection with Pope

It’s no secret that the Sheppard family has deep ties to the new Kentucky coach. The older Sheppard and Pope were key members of Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team and have stayed in touch. In an interview with BBN Tonight on Friday, the older Sheppard joked that his son’s first in-home visit came from Pope over a decade ago.

“Mark Pope has known Reed Sheppard since Reed was a little bitty fella,” Sheppard said in the interview. “When Mark was an assistant coach at Georgia, long time ago when Reed was six, seven years old? Pope boasts that he was the first coach to do an in-house visit for Reed at seven years old and holds that on his resumé.”

That connection could be a key factor in Sheppard’s pending decision.

Con: His draft stock is already high

The saying “take the money or leave it” could be applied here. If Sheppard declares for the draft, he’s almost guaranteed to be at least a lottery pick. In CBS Sports’ latest mock drafts, Kyle Boone and David Cobb have Sheppard going No. 4, and Gary Parrish has him going No. 2. Sheppard has worked his way up from a four-star recruit ranked No. 79 in the 2023 recruiting cycle by 247Sports to one of the most intriguing draft prospects in his class. Sheppard’s draft stock has soared over the last five months, and it could rise even more depending on how he tests at the NBA Combine next month. Sheppard was one of the most efficient players in college basketball last season. He should be able to find a role from Day 1 on whatever team drafts him for that reason.