Former Kentucky stars Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham set to make their NBA debuts

Both could be two of the best rookies in the league.

Oct 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) warms up prior to the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The NBA season is set to begin on Tuesday night, and it's packed with some former Wildcats. Two games on the night to open the season, before a number of games every day after that. Former Wildcat Karl-Anthony Towns will get things started with his new team in New York with the Knicks, while Julius Randle settles into his new team as well with the Minnesota Timberwolves, facing Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers. Both Towns and Randle were involved in a blockbuster trade together this offseason.

While there are a couple of Wildcats taking the stage on opening night, there are a couple of former Kentucky stars who will be making their highly-anticipated debuts in the league. Rob Dillingham and the Minnesota Timberwolves play on opening night, and Dillingham is one of the more exciting rookies to watch in his draft class. He's one of the top favorites for Rookie of the Year, but there's a former teammate of his who is receiving a lot of buzz and could become the favorite for the award. Reed Sheppard will be making his debut on Wednesday for the Houston Rockets.

With both of the former Wildcats, they won't be starters for their teams right away, but they will have key roles coming in off the bench and being solid contributors. It will be really interesting as the season goes along to see just how their roles change on their teams. There is a lot of preseason stock being put into Sheppard more than any other rookie, but Dillingham is right up there with him when it comes to the best rookies in the class.

Kentucky fans can watch the former Wildcats make their debuts starting with Dillingham on Tuesday night with Minnesota, and Sheppard on Wednesday with Houston. You can check out the NBA opening week schedule here.