Kentucky guards Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham are among the 21 players to receive green room invitations to the 2024 NBA Draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
Sheppard finished the season ranked in the top 10 all-time at Kentucky among freshmen in five statistical categories: first in 3-point field goal percentage (52.1), second in steals (82), fifth in made 3s (75), eighth in assists (148), and ninth in free throw percentage (83.1). He was also the first player in school history with three games of 25+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a single-season.
Per KenPom.com, Sheppard led the nation in 3-point field goal percentage, ranked sixth in true-shooting percentage (69.9%) and eighth in effective field-goal percentage (67.9%). He was the only player in the country with at least 145 assists, 80 steals and 70 made 3s through March 24.
On the season, Sheppard, who posted seven 20-point games, could become the highest native Kentuckian to play for UK taken in the NBA Draft since Rex Chapman went No. 8 overall to the Charlotte Hornets in 1988.
Coming out of North Laurel High School in London, Ky., Sheppard was named a McDonald’s All-American and was ranked No. 43 overall in the 2023 class by the industry average 247Sports Composite.
Dillingham, who declared for the NBA Draft while forgoing his remaining eligibility on April 9, was named SEC Sixth Man of the Year, Second Team All-SEC by the league’s coaches and to the All-Freshman Team after averaging 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 47.5% from the floor, 44.4% from beyond the arc and 79.6% from the free throw line off the bench.
Dillingham finished the season ranked in the top 20 all-time at Kentucky among freshmen in four statistical categories: fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (44.9), eighth in made 3s (64), 12th in assists (124) and 17th in points scored (486).
He posted eight games of 20 or more points, highlighted by a career-high 35 points on 14 of 20 shooting and 6 of 8 three-pointers in a January loss to No. 5 Tennessee. Dillingham also finished with 27 points and 7 assists in a loss to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament.
Coming out of Overtime Elite in Atlanta, Dillingham was ranked as the No. 16 overall prospect and No. 3 point guard in the 2023 class according to the industry average 247Sports Composite.
For the second time in three days Kentucky Coach Nick Mingione has been named National Coach of the Year, this time by the National College Baseball Writers Association, it was announced Friday on the eve of the school’s first Men’s College World Series appearance. It is the second time in his eight seasons as a head coach he has earned the award.
Mingione also won both SEC and National Coach of the Year in 2017. He also was voted SEC Coach of the last month and 2024 Perfect Game National Coach of the Year earlier this week.
Mingione guided a Kentucky squad voted near the bottom of the SEC Eastern Division to a conference championship, just the second in school history, and its first NCAA College World Series berth in its history, a span of more than 100 seasons. Mingione also was an assistant coach on the 2006 team that won the SEC title.
UK had a sensational 2024 regular season, piling up school and SEC records along the way. The Wildcats set a school record with 22 SEC victories and 11 SEC road victories. By virtue of a 9-1 start for the second straight league slate, UK became the first team in 32 years to accomplish that feat. UK’s 15-1 start to conference play also was the best in school history.
It got even better in the postseason as UK hosted its first Super Regional as the No. 2 overall seed. It is 5-0 in the NCAA Tournament and opens play in the MCWS on Saturday afternoon versus NC State. Currently, its 45 total wins ties the school record set in 2012.
Kentucky’s rise to the top of the SEC play can be attributed, in part, to the statistical surge in conference games by the Wildcats. Kentucky led the league in SEC-only batting average, was third in SEC-only fielding percentage, and fifth in SEC-only ERA. Only one other school (Texas A&M) was top-five in all three major categories in conference competition this season. The Cats also led the league in OBP, runs scored, hits, RBI, doubles, sac bunts, sac flies, and stolen bases. Ryan Waldschmidt led the league in doubles and stolen bases in SEC play, and was also top-five in batting average, on-base percentage, runs scored, and hits. Ryan Nicholson provided major power for the Cats in SEC play, finding himself in the top-five for slugging percentage, home runs, and runs batted in.
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