[Cactus Jack]

Final from Rupp. End to a great career for Reed Sheppard, he had one heck of a game tonight. 

George Rogers Clark will be a tough out for anyone. I don't know that Lyon County matches up with them any better than North Laurel. The winner of Male-Frederick Douglass better have something left in the tank on Saturday morning.

[Old School Hound]

North needed at least one more Reed Sheppard. They had some good complementary players but just one primetime player who was able to compete on this stage. It is simply stunning that Reed Sheppard's tenure at North resulted in exactly zero games won at the state tournament for the Jags. Has to be frustrating for North fans. When you have a talent of his stature you expect more than 0 wins in Rupp in five years.


Saw this from a fan on another board: "Sheppard turned the ball over a lot. He had some steals but also let his guy blow by him several times. I just don’t see how he competes, especially on defense against the speed of top D1 talent at UK."

Is anyone concerned that Reed struggles to compete against D1 level talent? I , for one, hope the kid has great career in the blue and white .

[Diablo]

When you have 4 other guys on your team that are just as good or better than you, things aren’t so hard. GRC was better at the other 4 spots. Reed had a great high school career. I commend him for staying at home for four years when he could went to Prep School the past two years.

[Van Hagar]

100% dead on Cactus Jack. GRC was just too athletic for North. Reed was the only player on the North side at (or above) their level. I have always thought his game will translate better to the college level, with other great players on the floor, because the kid can handle and pass with anybody, a level above the guys he played with in high school.

[Shogun]

North needed at least one more Reed Sheppard. They had some good complementary players but  just one primetime player who was able to compete  on this stage. It is simply stunning that Reed Sheppard's tenure at North resulted in exactly zero games won at the state tournament for the Jags. Has to be frustrating for North fans. When you have a talent of his stature you expect more than 0 wins in Rupp in five years.


Saw this from a fan on another board:  "Sheppard turned the ball over a lot. He had some steals but also let his guy blow by him several times. I just don’t see how he competes,  especially on defense against the speed of top D1 talent at UK."

Is anyone concerned that Reed struggles to compete against D1 level talent?  I , for one, hope the kid has  great career in the blue and white .

I definitely think he'll develop into a solid contributor at UK. He'll most likely fade into the background his freshman year with all of the talent that UK has coming in, and he may never be a star, but I feel like by the time he graduates he'll be a starter. I think of it like this: IMO, Reed is a much more polished player than Frederick was at this point in high school. Frederick has made starts for UK, so stands to reason that Reed can and should develop to that level as well.

[Mountainparkway]

North needed at least one more Reed Sheppard. They had some good complementary players but  just one primetime player who was able to compete  on this stage. It is simply stunning that Reed Sheppard's tenure at North resulted in exactly zero games won at the state tournament for the Jags. Has to be frustrating for North fans. When you have a talent of his stature you expect more than 0 wins in Rupp in five years.


Saw this from a fan on another board:  "Sheppard turned the ball over a lot. He had some steals but also let his guy blow by him several times. I just don’t see how he competes,  especially on defense against the speed of top D1 talent at UK."

Is anyone concerned that Reed struggles to compete against D1 level talent?  I , for one, hope the kid has  great career in the blue and white .

I watched the game live stream. Reeds a good basketball player but I’m not sure he’s division on uk talent. Several of grc players blew by him and I told my wife several times that should not be happening if he’s a legit all American uk committed player. Now this is the first time I’ve watched him and he may have had an off day defensively. Just kept thinking it grc high school players doing this to him what will players at mich st, duke, and so on be doing to him. If my take pisses some off I don’t care. It’s the truth.

[Vols0528]

Reed is the most unselfish 5 star I have ever seen. He looks to involve everyone on the floor.

[Real baller]

You are wrong I watched Reed against other McDonald’s all Americans on ESPN he also had some on his team he didn’t have to do it all last night he was the only one on his team that belong on the floor with grc so he was probably tired he will be fine at Uk. The game I watch on ESPN Bronny James was playing Reed looked like the best play on the floor.

[Playcaller66]

You are wrong I watched Reed against other McDonald’s all Americans on ESPN he also had some on his team he didn’t have to do it all last night he was the only one on his team that belong on the floor with grc so he was probably tired he will be fine at Uk. The game I watch on ESPN Bronny James was playing Reed looked like the best play on the floor.

Reed was most definitely best player on the floor against Bronny James. From where I sit at Rupp last night it appeared to me that GRC Coach just flat out out coached Valentine. It happens but at this stage in Sweet 16 you can’t be down 18-5 end of 1st quarter and get out rebounded 22-10 in first half. The 3rd quarter sealed that game. Josh can flat out Coach and will be a tough out tonight. In my opinion North Laurel should move Cody Messer up as Head Coach and get the younger Jags development started asap for next season..

[Vols0528]

i have watched Reed play a dozen times in person. If your watching some espn bs then you have not watched this kid at NL. He is unselfish as I have ever seen.

[spectator 101]

North needed at least one more Reed Sheppard. They had some good complementary players but  just one primetime player who was able to compete  on this stage. It is simply stunning that Reed Sheppard's tenure at North resulted in exactly zero games won at the state tournament for the Jags. Has to be frustrating for North fans. When you have a talent of his stature you expect more than 0 wins in Rupp in five years.


Saw this from a fan on another board:  "Sheppard turned the ball over a lot. He had some steals but also let his guy blow by him several times. I just don’t see how he competes,  especially on defense against the speed of top D1 talent at UK."

Is anyone concerned that Reed struggles to compete against D1 level talent?  I , for one, hope the kid has  great career in the blue and white .

I watched the game live stream. Reeds a good basketball player but I’m not sure he’s division on uk talent. Several of grc players blew by him and I told my wife several times that should not be happening if he’s a legit all American uk committed player. Now this is the first time I’ve watched him and he may have had an off day defensively. Just kept thinking it grc high school players doing this to him what will players at mich st, duke, and so on be doing to him. If my take pisses some off I don’t care. It’s the truth.

Are you 12 or something?? Because just watch Ky play everyone blows bye them all game long and shoots layup’s. The whole world watch’s this every time they play. So you need to have another meeting with your wife 
.

[Diablo]

I’d say all 5 of GRCs starters will be playing college basketball somewhere. So them blowing by Reed at time’s probably isn’t that big a deal. They gonna blow by a lot of people.

[spectator 101]

Reed Sheppard is the real deal. GRC has an outstanding basketball program.

[Vols0528]

Reed Sheppard is the real deal. GRC has an outstanding basketball program.

Its just a shame they had to matchup last night.   Reed is a dynamite player.   Has unbelieveable court vision.   Puts himself in good def position whether  to make plays and just plays under control that is just not coachable.   I think he will be a very good college player but I think he will have to transfer to become that.   I don't think Cal is going to give him a fair shake.   I want to be wrong and I won't mind eating crowe if I am.   I would have loved to have seen him in Virginia's system.

[nedreader]

I feel like NL should’ve gone to some sort of a matchup zone in the first half. The Morton kid is a player. Is he VonDale’s son?

[Vols0528]

I feel like NL should’ve gone to some sort of a matchup zone in the first half.  The Morton kid is a player.  Is he VonDale’s son?

I believe that Morton is headed to Morehead St

[The Outsider]

Sheppard is a high D-1 player, just not sure that UK and Coach Cal are the best fit for him.

[Old School Hound]

Reed Sheppard is the real deal. GRC has an outstanding basketball program.

Its just a shame they had to matchup last night.   Reed is a dynamite player.   Has unbelieveable court vision.   Puts himself in good def position whether  to make plays and just plays under control that is just not coachable.   I think he will be a very good college player but I think he will have to transfer to become that.   I don't think Cal is going to give him a fair shake.   I want to be wrong and I won't mind eating crowe if I am.   I would have loved to have seen him in Virginia's system.

I wish he would have gotten a chance to play more than one game in the tourney.  I hope he does well at UK. Just don't how much he's gonna play.

[Cactus Jack]

I believe that Morton is headed to Morehead St

As for the bolded, I believe that you are correct.

[Black Bear Cuz]

I believe Reed will have to play a more physical brand of basketball when he’s wearing the blue and white on both ends of the floor and he will have to clean up some of his wreckless turnover issues if he wants to play for Calipari. I have confidence that he will make the transition to the next level successfully but it will take time just like it does with 99.8% of all freshman. I would like to see him put time in the weight room and get stronger also…

[Playcaller66]

Reed Sheppard is the real deal. GRC has an outstanding basketball program.

Its just a shame they had to matchup last night.   Reed is a dynamite player.   Has unbelieveable court vision.   Puts himself in good def position whether  to make plays and just plays under control that is just not coachable.   I think he will be a very good college player but I think he will have to transfer to become that.   I don't think Cal is going to give him a fair shake.   I want to be wrong and I won't mind eating crowe if I am.   I would have loved to have seen him in Virginia's system.

I wish he would have gotten a chance to play more than one game in the tourney.  I hope he does well at UK. Just don't how much he's gonna play.

Yeah for sure. North getting beat in 1st round on Sweet 16 two years in a row cannot bold well with some on North Side of town. Okay I get it last year but this years team was much improved and Reed was on a different level than last year. I would have loved to seen Reed cut the nets down as it been great for Southeastern Ky to have the State Champs nearby. I just think North Head Coach got OUT COACHED 3 out of 4 quarters. Corbin, Harlan City and Harlan County will be the three top teams in 13th Region next season. Congrats Reed Sheppard on a phenomenal High School career..

[Old School Hound]

I believe Reed will have to play a more physical brand of basketball when he’s wearing the blue and white on both ends of the floor and he will have to clean up some of his wreckless turnover issues if he wants to play for Calipari. I have confidence that he will make the transition to the next level successfully but it will take time just like it does with 99.8% of all freshman. I would like to see him put time in the weight room and get stronger also…

THIS!!!

[Cactus Jack]

The whole "no wins in Rupp" is overdone at this point.

This year, George Rogers Clark literally beat North Laurel, Lyon County, and Frederick Douglass in succession.

The only team that they didn't beat over their last two trips was Warren Central, and they lost to them by 4 (after going through a tougher bracket where they always played the late game). It isn't preposterous to think that GRC could have beaten Warren Central heads-up, especially in the first round.

There were three to four teams in the field who were definitively better than the Jags-- George Rogers Clark, Warren Central, Frederick Douglass, and Male. North just had the misfortune of drawing one of those, which was arguably the worst matchup for them). In the GRC game, it was very obvious early that North's supporting cast wasn't on par with GRC's length and athleticism. At least with Male, they weren't especially long and relied on a lot of long range looks.

Last year's loss to Pikeville in Rupp wasn't good, but it seemed worse at the time than what it actually was. Pikeville entered the tournament with two losses (by one to Bowling Green on a neutral floor & to Paintsville on the road), but were overlooked due to perceptions of a soft schedule and went into the North game with nothing to lose. As the tournament went on, it became apparent the Panthers were not a bad team. They lost to the eventual champion (George Rogers Clark) in the quarterfinals by 5. Even if North had beaten Pikeville last year, we can probably agree that they probably weren't going to beat GRC.

The biggest sin in the "won no games in Rupp" era was probably losing to Knox Central in the Regional Final in 2021. Winning that and getting the experience of going and the momentum that it brings probably sets them out on a different path. It was obvious that there were some nerves and trouble adjusting to Rupp in the 2022 Pikeville game that aren't there if there's a trip the year before. It might have also rendered the "can't win in Rupp" chatter moot, as they would have been playing an Ashland Blazer team that they'd already beaten earlier in the year.

Coming into 2023 having won two straight, (especially if they'd won a game or two once there) could have easily led to more kids finding their way into their program and staying.


At the end of the day, they didn't win the games that they needed to, but if we're going to talk about their inability to win in Lexington, then a loss to George Rogers Clark this year just isn't the example that you want to use.