Reed Sheppard (Les Nicholson Photo)
Reed Sheppard spent the weekend playing basketball with his North Laurel High School teammates in Shelby County in a major statewide prep tourney but will take a break from his college recruiting, AAU play, and high school play to take a vacation next week.
Sheppard and his family visited the University of Virginia last week and came away impressed with coach Tony Bennett’s program.
“It was really a good day,” Reed’s father, Jeff, said. “They are very impressive in a lot of aspects. The University of Virginia itself has so much history. Coach Bennett obviously has done a great job on the court winning the 2019 national championship and making some incredible runs in the ACC.
“I think he has emerged as one of the elite coaches in the country. We got to spend time with him and his staff, tour the facilities and speak to the strength coach and academic counselors. It was really a fun and good day.”
It was the same earlier this month when the family made an unofficial visit to Louisville to visit with coach Chris Mack — who also offered a scholarship last week along with Arizona State (where former UK assistant coach Joel Justus now coaches) and the College of Charleston.
“We got to spend a lot of good time with Chris Mack and hear his vision for the future,” Jeff Sheppard said.
No more unofficial visits are on Reed Sheppard’s calendar but his father said the junior-to-be could do more in August once AAU play is over in July. Reed Sheppard likely will be playing in Adidas events in Omaha, Birmingham, and Indianapolis in July.
“July is such a big deal on the recruiting trail, especially since coaches couldn’t get out last year to see players,” Jeff Sheppard said.
What about Kentucky, the school where Jeff Sheppard was Final Four MVP on UK’s 1998 national championship team and Stacey Reed Sheppard was a standout guard for the women’s team?
“(Assistant coach) Orlando Antigua has been in touch with us,” Jeff Sheppard said. “He’s spoken with Reed and with us. So Kentucky has been in communication.”
