North Laurel guard Reed Sheppard has felt and embraced the pressure since he was in the first grade. Being the son of two Kentucky basketball standouts in Jeff and Stacey Reed Sheppard, the London, KY product has been in the spotlight long before he emerged as a surefire five-star, top-25 talent.
That spotlight has certainly grown since then, though. Considerably.
King of the Bluegrass is known as one of the state’s top tournaments held annually at Fairdale High School. After missing last year due to COVID-19, North Laurel was able to rejoin the field in 2021, an opportunity the Jaguars were anxious to take advantage of — especially considering the effort it took to get there.