Ryan BlackLouisville Courier Journal
In-state superstar Reed Sheppard was the first of three former Kentucky basketballplayer taken in the2024 NBA Draft. TheHouston Rockets selected him in the first round with the No. 3 overall pick Wednesday night.
It's the 15th straight draftUK produced a one-and-done freshman who became a first-round pick —the entirety of former coach John Calipari's tenure. Since Calipari's first season with the Wildcats in 2009-10, every NBA draft has had at least one Kentucky player off the board in the first round.
Rob Dillingham, who was also part of UK's top-ranked 2023 recruiting class, was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 8 overall pick. He was later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Here's what to know about where each Kentucky player landed:
Guard Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets
Round/overall pick:First, No. 3 overall
An in-state legacy whose parents both starred at UK in the 1990s, Sheppard turned in a phenomenal freshman campaign in his lone season in Lexington. What's more, he was one of the most gifted two-way players in college basketball, leading the Wildcats in assists (4.5) and steals (2.5) per game. He tallied 82 assists overall, which was the second most in a season by a UK player, trailing Rajon Rondo's record of 87 in 2004-05.
And on a team of sharpshooters —the Wildcats had three players make at least 60 3-pointers at a better-than-40% clip —Sheppard was the best. He connected on 75 of his 141 shots beyond the arc, a 52.1% conversion rate. By percentage, Sheppard departed as the best 3-point shooter in program history.
Guard Rob Dillingham, Minnesota Timberwolves
Round/overall pick: First, No. 8 overall
A North Carolina native, Dillingham made just one start (in 32 games) last season. But that didn't slow down his scoring. The 6-foot-1 Dillingham averaged 15.2 points per outing, trailing only Antonio Reeves' 20.2 (a Calipari-era record). Dillingham's contributions weren't overlooked, as he captured the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year award and also earned All-SEC Second Team laurelsfrom the league's coaches as well as media members who cover the conference. In addition, Dillingham also landed a spot on the SEC's All-Freshman Team.
Guard Antonio Reeves, New Orleans Pelicans
Round/overall pick: Second, No. 47 overall
Reeves ended his college career on a high note, with the best single-season scoring average (20.2 points per game) in the 15 seasons Calipari led the program. It also was just the third time since 2000 a Kentucky player averaged at least 20 points per game for an entire season; Jodie Meeks (23.7 in 2008-09) and Jamal Murray (20.0 in 2015-16) are the others. The Chicago native played in all 33 games in 2023-24, with Sheppard the only other Wildcat who can make that claim. That durability carried over from the previous season, as Reeves appeared in all 34 outings for UK in 2022-23 after joining the program as a transfer from Illinois State. Reeves capped his UK career as the top scorer of the Calipari era in terms of total points, pouring in 1,155 — 38 clear of former teammate Oscar Tshiebwe (1,117).
Guard Justin Edwards, Philadelphia 76ers
What's next: Signed two-way deal with 76ers as undrafted free agent
Edwards, the most heralded signee in Kentucky’s top-ranked 2023 recruiting class, had an up-and-down campaign. Though he started 31 of the 32 games he played in during the 2023-24 campaign, he had a stretch of nine consecutive games — beginning in late December and continuing through January — where he failed to score 10 or more points. Edwards broke out of the slump with 17 points in a win at Vanderbilt on Feb. 6. That was the beginning of a stellar finish to his freshman season, as Edwards reached double figures in the scoring department six times in the Wildcats’ last 10 games — which included his career-best performance: a 28-point outburst against Alabama on Feb. 24. Edwards made all 10 of his field goals in the victory over the Crimson Tide, going 4 of 4 from distance. He became only the third UK player ever to have a game of at least 10 field goal makes without a miss. A 6-foot-8, 203-pound wing from Philadelphia, Edwards averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game for the season.
Forward Tre Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder
What's next: Signed NBA Summer League deal with Thunder as undrafted free agent
Mitchell, who joined UK as a transfer from West Virginia, appeared in 27 games (24 starts) during the 2023-24. He pulled down a team-best 7.2 rebounds to go along with 10.7 points and 2.6 assists in 30.2 minutes per outing. Mitchell notched a team-leading five double-doubles last season — the same number as the rest of the team combined; no other Wildcat had more than one such performance. He had seven games in which he grabbed 10 or more rebounds.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
