Does Reed Sheppard have siblings? Kentucky guard's personal life explored

Reed Sheppard came into the Kentucky program with a ton of fanfare. His father, Jeff Sheppard, was a legend for the Wildcats and was named the 1998 Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. Reed, for his part, has taken after his father's athletic gifts and is carving out a brilliant career for himself.

In his freshman season, Sheppard has already become one of the best players on the team, with an all-around game, averaging 12.4 points, and a tick about 4 rebounds and assists.

Moreover, his most impressive attribute is his two-way play where he's contributing close to 3.5 stocks (steals + blocks). He's one of the most efficient players in all of basketball, shooting a blistering 53.5% from the field, and an unbelievable 51.7% from 3-point land.

Reed Sheppard has an older sister by the name of Madison Sheppard, who also played college basketball. However, she chose to attend the Campbellsville University for her collegiate career.

With her own athletic inclinations and closeness to her brother, Madison has taken an active interest in her brother's burgeoning career, especially during the recruitment process. Given his pedigree and impressive showing at North Laurel High School, he was a top-50 prospect with offers from Lousiville and Virginia as well.

After his pick of the Wildcats was made official, the elder Sheppard would reveal how she played the role of 'protector' for her brother, a nickname given by her his coach, John Calipari.

"Coach Cal calls me ‘The Protector’ because of how I look out for Reed. It’s funny how our last name is Sheppard and we also have that protective instinct like a shepherd. We look after each other."

Throughout the process, she was by his side, encouraging and guiding him on the metrics to look out for, the questions to ask, etc. Suffice it to say, Sheppard owes a great deal of his success on the collegiate scene to his elder sister.

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How Madison played a huge role in the success Reed Sheppard has found in Kentucky?

As she revealed, the entire process had a lot of question marks. Eventually, though, Kentucky was able to win them over.

“But Kentucky got really consistent recruiting him and everything Kentucky presented was just awesome," Madison said. "Once we visited for Big Blue Madness together, I had a good feeling he would choose Kentucky then.”

A back injury forced Madison to give up her senior season at Campbellsville. However, she busied herself with preparing her brother.

"Chemistry is so important and I explained to him to look at the way players interacted with one another on the teams he was looking at...I told him to watch how the coaches interact with players outside of basketball."

Her guidance during the process allowed Reed to finally settle with the Wildcats. Looking back at his freshman season so far, the decision appears to be a no-brainer. As the team and Reed himself have found success, he's become a player to keep an eye on, with Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino also taking an active interest in him.

Coach Rick Pitino

While he hasn't made his plans for next year clear yet, it is a safe bet to assume Madison will be involved in the decision-making process. Given their track record, it might be the best situation possible.