Sheppard SEC Freshman of the Year, four Cats honored by league
Published 11:13 am Tuesday, March 12, 2024
- Reed Sheppard slams home a dunk for his first basket as a Wildcat in Kentucky's 86-46 win over New Mexico State Monday night. Sheppard scored 12 points in his debut with the Wildcats. (Photo by Les Nicholson/Kentucky Today)
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Reed Sheppard was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches on Monday.
Sheppard also was named to the All-SEC Second Team on Monday, while teammate Antonio Reeves was named to the First Team and Rob Dillingham was named to the second team. Sheppard, Dillingham and D.J. Wagner were named to the All-Freshman team, while Dillingham was named the conference Sixth-man of the Year.
Earlier Monday, Sheppard was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for the fourth time. He finished the regular season as the only player in the nation to collect at least 75 steals and dish out 140 assists. Sheppard also made 70 3-pointers for the Wildcats. Sheppard is averaging 12.7 points per game and has logged double-figures in 20 games.
Reeves has scored 20 or more points in seven straight games going into the postseason and is the team’s leading scorer at 20,.2 ppg., the highest in John Calipari’s 15 seasons in Lexington.
Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht was named the SEC Player of the Year and Lamont Paris of South Carolina was named Coach of the Year. Zakai Zeigler was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
2023-24 SEC Men’s Basketball Awards:
First Team
Mark Sears, Alabama
Johni Broome, Auburn
Zyon Pullin, Florida
Antonio Reeves, Kentucky
Tolu Smith III, Mississippi State
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M
Second Team
Jaylin Williams, Auburn
Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
Matthew Murrell, Ole Miss
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Ta’Lon Cooper, South Carolina
Meechie Johnson, South Carolina
Jonas Aidoo, Tennessee
All-Defensive Team
Johni Broome, Auburn
Cameron Matthews, Mississippi State
Jonas Aidoo, Tennessee
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
Andersson Garcia, Texas A&M
All-Freshman Team
Aden Holloway, Auburn
Alex Condon, Florida
Silas Demary Jr., Georgia
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
D.J. Wagner, Kentucky
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina
Coach of the Year: Lamont Paris, South Carolina
Player of the Year: Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Sean East II, Missouri
Freshman of the Year: Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
Sixth-Man of the Year: Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
Defensive Player of the Year: Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
