15 Jeff Sheppard

Jeff Sheppard was born Jeffrey Kyle Sheppard on September 29, 1974, in Marietta, Georgia, to Ralph and Kyle Sheppard. He grew up in Georgia and became a standout at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City, finishing with 1,919 points and numerous school and county records. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution named him Georgia Mr. Basketball. Sheppard had dreamed of playing for Kentucky since childhood and signed with the Wildcats in 1992.

Rick Pitino considered redshirting Sheppard as a freshman in 1993–94, but kept him in the rotation. The athletic guard played in 29 games, giving Kentucky a lively reserve who could finish above the rim and contribute when called upon.

Sheppard moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore in 1994–95, starting 27 of 33 games. In his first collegiate start, he hit five first-half three-pointers against Marshall and scored 21 points. His expanded role showed the promise Pitino had seen in him as a recruit.

On Kentucky’s deep 1995–96 team, Sheppard returned largely to a reserve role. He stayed ready, and when Tony Delk was sidelined by leg cramps against Massachusetts in the Final Four, Sheppard scored all seven of his points in the final six minutes of the semifinal victory. Kentucky went on to win the national championship. Sheppard redshirted the following season, setting up one final year in Lexington.

Under new coach Tubby Smith in 1997–98, Sheppard became a tri-captain, a steadying presence and Kentucky’s leading scorer. He started 37 of 38 games and averaged 13.7 points as the “Comeback Cats” reached another Final Four. His patience through changing roles had made him the leader Kentucky needed for its championship run.

Sheppard scored a career-high 27 points in Kentucky’s 86–85 Final Four win over Stanford. In the title game against Utah, he added 16 points as the Wildcats erased a 10-point halftime deficit. His steal and dunk gave Kentucky a second-half lead, and a baseline jumper later put the Wildcats ahead for good. Kentucky won 78–69, and Sheppard was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player—his second national title in three playing seasons.

Sheppard also received a “Peach of an Athlete” Role Model Award while at Kentucky. After college, he played one season with the Atlanta Hawks and three years professionally in Italy. He married former Kentucky basketball player Stacey Reed in 1998; their son Reed later played for the Wildcats.