Reed Sheppard reaches 5-star status; Dajuan Wagner Jr. still No. 1 overall

After a strong showing in the spring and summer AAU circuits, Reed Sheppard is now a 5-star recruit at Rivals.

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Sheppard is now ranked 21st overall and fourth among shooting guards in the Class of 2023. There was also a Rivals FutureCast pick logged this week by recruiting analyst Russ Wood in favor of the Wildcats, who now hold both predictions at Rivals, as well as all eight picks at 247 Sports, which has him ranked 62nd overall.

New assistant coach Orlando Antigua was the primary coach in contact with Sheppard once recruiting restrictions with 2023 prospects were lifted in June. Once the summer AAU events began, John Calipari attended several of Sheppard’s games before eventually offering a scholarship to the son of former Kentucky stars Jeff Sheppard and Stacey Reed,

When it comes time to pick a college, Sheppard has said he wants to go, “Somewhere that feels like family, feels like home. Somewhere that feels like home and where my teammates around me feel like family and friends,” he told KSR in June.

As for other Kentucky targets in the 2023 class, Dajuan Wagner Jr. remains the No. 1 overall recruit, a distinction the 6-foot-2, 160-pound point guard also holds at ESPN and 247 Sports.

Kentucky has long been viewed as the heavy favorite for the son of Dajuan Wagner, who Calipari coached during his days at Memphis. The biggest perceived threat has been the pros, but with NIL now in place, Kentucky appears to be in great shape in this recruitment.

Check out the full Rivals rankings update here.

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