INDIANAPOLIS — University of Kentucky (UK) guard Reed Sheppard has won the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year award as voted on by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). 

What You Need To Know

  • University of Kentucky (UK) guard Reed Sheppard has won the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year award 

  • The award is voted on by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA)

  • He becomes the third player in UK history to receive the honor, joining the likes of John Wall (2010) and Anthony Davis (2012)

  • Sheppard had a career-high 32 points Feb. 27 in a 91-89 win at Mississippi State, including 23 in the second half 

Sheppard becomes the third player in UK history to receive the honor, joining the likes of John Wall (2010) and Anthony Davis (2012). All three have come under coach John Calipari, who also coached 2009 winner Tyreke Evans at Memphis. The award has been distributed since 1989.

 

A native of London, Kentucky, Sheppard becomes the first winner from the Bluegrass State. The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 12.8 points per game and also leads the Wildcats with 145 assists on the season, averaging 4.5 per game. Defensively, he has 80 steals, the second most in program history, trailing only Rajon Rondo (87).

Sheppard is the lone player in the country to have made at least 80 steals, recorded at least 145 assists and scored at least 70 3-pointers through March 17, UK Athletics said. He had a career-high 32 points Feb. 27 in a 91-89 win at Mississippi State, with 23 coming in the second half. 

The No. 3-seed Wildcats face the No. 14-seed Oakland Golden Grizzlies Thursday, March 21 at 7:10 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 

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