Who is Reed Sheppard's dad, Jeff? What we know about the Kentucky guard's father

Reed Sheppard has quickly been taking over college basketball with his incredible skills. The Kentucky freshman scored a career-high 32 points with five rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and two steals on Tuesday against MS State.

Watching him play has people reminiscing about his father, Jeff Sheppard, who also played for the Wildcats.

Who is Reed Sheppard's father?

Jeff Sheppard has a long and remarkable history with Kentucky. As a point guard, he has exceptional ball-handling skills and remarkable court vision. Senior Sheppard played an integral role in leading the Wildcats through the NCAA tournament for two years, with a Final Four appearance in 1998. His contributions earned him the Most Outstanding Player award.

During his time in Kentucky, he met his future wife, Stacey, who was also a basketball player for the Wildcats. Besides Reed Sheppard, the couple has a daughter, Madison, who was a basketball player at Campbellsville University.

Speaking on the impact his parents had on his life, the 19-year-old shared:

“My parents brought me up the right way. They have told me a lot of things. They know how to act and taught me the right way to do things. Mom and Dad are super humble and super kind.

"You cannot tell their accomplishments by how they acted. You would never think Dad won two national titles and was a Final Four MVP. He is super unselfish. Mom is the same way. They are just both super, super kind people.”

And just like any parent, Jeff Sheppard and his wife are involved and quite enthusiastic about their son's career. Sometimes, a little too excited, as Reed Shapprd shared:

“They get vocal during some of the games. Mom usually won’t say much. Dad can get a little loud sometimes but he tries to hold it back. I understand he loves me and tries to do all he can to help me. But there is not much yelling anymore. They can both get their points across to me without yelling.”

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Did Jeff Sheppard play in the NBA?

Jeff Sheppard had a short stint in the NBA after his collegiate career. The Georgia native went undrafted in the 1998 NBA draft and still played briefly for the Atlanta Hawks. However, his success with the Wildcats did not translate into the professional league, as he just averaged 2.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in 18 games.

Sheppard then went on to play in Italy with Benetton Treviso (1999–00), Cordivari Roseto (2000–01) and Würth Roma (2001). He eventually retired in 2001.