Jazz Linked With New Draft Prospect Generating A ‘Boom of Interest'

Reports indicate the draft’s newest riser has had some interest generated from the Utah Jazz.

One of the biggest risers up to this point in the NBA Draft process, Belmont’s Ben Sheppard now has teams rushing for the opportunity to scout him out before June 22nd’s NBA Draft. Due to his outstanding combine results, teams have begun to do more homework on him, and clearly like what they see.

Among the teams involved, we’ve heard that the Utah Jazz took in Sheppard for a workout, along with a few others. The name may not stand out for many, but his school is among one of the smaller conferences in the NCAA (MVC). Compared to any of the Power Five conferences, the coverage of these schools, and therefore prospects, are extremely dwarfed in comparison. With this, the competition level also comes into question, making scouts and fans wonder if these prospects can hold their own at the professional level.

After working out for the Hawks and Jazz, Ben Sheppard is now scheduled to work out for the Pelicans (#14) and Warriors (19), per source. There has been a boom of interest in Sheppard after his tremendous NBA combine. Has moved into the first round mix and rising.

— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) June 3, 2023

In terms of Sheppard however, he might be a bit different. He possesses a lot of the tools NBA teams love to see out of any potential young guy to add to the roster. Ben has all of the physical tools to be a successful guard in the league, standing 6’5”, with an almost 6’8 wingspan. The common trend of longer, lanky guards coming into the league lines up well with what Sheppard could offer.

Shooting-wise, he has some upside as well, putting the ball in the basket pretty efficiently in college with 47/41/68 splits, leading the team in scoring as well. While many of the taller guards entering the league oftentimes have questions surrounding their shooting ability, Sheppard is the opposite.

Defensively, he was among some of the best defenders in his conference, averaging over a steal per game, also notching an MVC All-Defense selection. Considering the size he possesses at the position, the impact should be able to translate over effectively.

However, the competition level he was up against through his time at Belmont could lead teams to second guess what he could bring to a team. Countless players around the league have been brought up from smaller schools, and eventually develop into one of the best players in the world. These would be some high expectations to have for Sheppard for sure, but he absolutely has some tantalizing potential a team like the Jazz could end up capitalizing on.

With less than only three weeks until draft night arrives, the Jazz will have to continue to stay diligent in their scouting process.

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