$ 411,000 NIL-valued Reed Sheppard gets hyped up by Kentucky teammates after 63-57 win against Arkansas: "Love ya boyyyy" 

Kentucky Wildcats fan favorite Reed Sheppard turned on the style in the second half of their clash against the Arkansas Razorbacks, scoring all his 14 points after the break to lead his team to a 63-57 win.

After the game, the $411,000 NIL-valued Sheppard received a lot of love on Instagram from his Kentucky teammates for his performance.

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Reed Sheppard: The glue of Kentucky

Reed Sheppard was a four-star recruit from North Laurel High School. While he was always considered a talent, his immense contribution to the Wildcats was unexpected.

He has also become an instant folk hero for the Wildcats fans with averages of 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists in his breakout season.

WLEX-TV reporter Maggie Davis who produces a segment for Kentucky sports, explained how Sheppard became a fan favorite in Lexington and how he handles the pressure that has come with his newfound fame.

“Kentucky fans were going to love that kid no matter what. He did not have to be this good to be beloved,” Davis said. “Him playing his role and having the best season of any of the Kentucky freshmen has been a Kentucky fan’s dream and I love his attitude about it all.

“I can’t imagine myself in his position, but Reed has been living with that for a long time. He has played in big games with huge expectations and his parents on TV, so for him this season has just been like another day at the office. He’s just so chill about it all. He’s just so normal, so humble despite all he’s doing.”

Kentucky legend and former All-American Jack Givens explained how Sheppard was the glue of this Wildcats team and how he made his teammates play better.

“You can put him in when nothing is going right and he kind of grabs the guys together,” Givens said. “It seems everybody relaxes and starts to play. He will never be the quickest player or jump the highest but he is a difference maker. I saw him play I don’t know how many times in high school and was not quite sure he could play like this at this level. He has erased any doubts I had.

“He is thinking the pass ahead before he gets the ball. His head is always up surveying the floor. It has also been fun to watch his evolution on defense as he’s adjusted on both ends of the court to make himself a special player.”