Could Reed Sheppard be taken with the number one pick in the NBA Draft?

Reed Sheppard will soon be drafted into the NBA.

Mar 15, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Reed Sheppard (15) drives down the lane against the Texas A&M Aggies during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA Draft is coming up this summer, and the question is, could former Kentucky star Reed Sheppard be the number one pick? While there was some hype around this multiple times during this process, it sounds like Sheppard will be taken third or later in the draft.

In some recent mock drafts, we have seen Sheppard going third overall to the Houston Rockets, and others he goes with the fourth pick to the San Antonio Spurs. I have also seen the former Wildcat star fall as far as ninth.

Here is David Cobb of CBS Sports's breakdown of where Sheppard should be drafted. In his recent mock draft, Cobb had the Grizzlies taking Sheppard ninth overall. Here is his justification, "With Ja Morant on the floor for just nine games, it was a lost season in Memphis. Now, the urgency to win mounts as Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. navigate their primes with big contracts. In this scenario, the Grizzlies might consider trading up to land a multi-year college player such as Knecht, Clingan, or Carter. But if not, Sheppard makes sense as a two-way combo guard with a sweet 3-point shot."

Sheppard has a ton of NBA upside thanks to his ability to shoot the ball and facilitate an offense. He will be on the shorter side for a guard in the NBA, but he is just such a good shooter that NBA teams can't pass on him. Sheppard is going to be a star at the next level and make Big Blue Nation proud.