The first trip to the state tournament for Reed Sheppard didn’t go as planned, but his junior season was still something to behold, and that was recently justified.
On Wednesday, Sheppard, a class of 2023 commit for the Kentucky Wildcats, was named the 2021-22 Gatorade Kentucky Boys Basketball Player of the Year, making him the first winner selected from North Laurel High School. The 6-foot-3 combo guard took North Laurel to 2022 UK Healthcare Boy’s Sweet 16 Tournament, although the Jaguars fell in the opening round to Pikeville, 59-51.