ESPN released its final list of the top 100 prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft, and the Kentucky Wildcats were a well-represented program. The Cats had five total players listed. Of those, Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard were the only ones in the top 30.
With this list having gone through multiple revisions, the only one that saw significant movement was Justin Edwards, who dropped from No. 31 to No. 39.
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Dillingham, who is arguably the best ball-handling guard in the draft, did drop as well, from No. 7 to No. 8. Sheppard stayed put at No. 4. Antonio Reeves jumped from No. 60 to No. 54 and Tre Mitchell went from No. 83 to No. 85.
That said, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo broke down the strengths and weaknesses of each prospect and then gave them a verdict.
Here’s the verdict for Sheppard.
“Sheppard is coming off a remarkable season, as he shot extremely well, both off the catch and off the dribble. He came up with a huge volume of steals and blocks in spite of his limited length and also posted efficient numbers in nearly every category in between. It will be fascinating to see just how effective Sheppard’s unique blend of skill, feel and instincts translates to the NBA level,” they wrote.
While we won’t put them all here, Dillingham’s verdict is also notable.
“Long known for his ability to heat up in a hurry at the prep level, Dillingham backed that up with efficient perimeter shot-making and steady decision-making as a passer and scorer in his lone season in the SEC. Even if he faces an uphill battle defensively, his offensive gifts give him some of the biggest star power of any prospect in this class,” they put.
In the grand scheme of things, there wasn’t much movement in the five Cats, and the most interesting one might have been Dillingham dropping a spot given he was overtaken by Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht.
The Cats should have at least three players taken in the draft, and with Edwards in the mix as well, Kentucky should have an elite trio of potential stars introduced to the NBA in just a handful of days.
The 2024 NBA Draft from the Barclays Center in New York Cit is set for
