"If I need to get ’em water, then I’ll get ’em some water": Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard reaffirms his faith to Wildcats amid stellar first season

Reed Sheppard is fully embracing his role with the Wildcats. The young gun has found his comfort zone playing for Big Blue, and it shows in his steadfast commitment to the team.

The Kentucky freshman recently reaffirmed his dedication. When asked what he expects his role to be as a freshman, he told On3's Joe Tipton he's locked in and will do whatever his coaches tell him to:

“Whatever I need to do really. We haven’t talked about it much, but when I get up there, if I need to get ’em water, then I’ll get ’em some water. If I need to go in and make a shot, I’ll go make a shot. But really just doing whatever Coach Cal (John Calipari) and the other coaches tell me to do, I’ll do it with the best of my ability.”

When asked about what fans could expect from him, he said:

“Just someone that’s willing to win. Doing whatever it takes to win. If I need to go out and get five rebounds and nothing else, then I’ll go out and get five rebounds and nothing else. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win and I’m gonna have fun while I do it.”

Reed Sheppard's clutch performance propelled No. 16 Kentucky to a thrilling 91-89 comeback win over Mississippi State on Tuesday. The freshman poured in 32 points, including the game-winning floater in the final second.

In his freshman season, Sheppard has made an immediate impact, averaging 12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game on remarkably efficient shooting numbers. Sheppard is converting on 53.8% of his attempts. Even more impressively, he's splashing over half his shots from 3-point range at a 51.7% clip.

Reed Sheppard was born and raised in a "Kentucky Wildcats home"

Basketball excellence runs in the Sheppard genes. Reed Sheppard grew up immersed in University of Kentucky lore thanks to the Wildcats heroics of both his mother and father.

His father, Jeff Sheppard, cemented himself in program history as a tenacious sharpshooter who led Kentucky to back-to-back national titles in 1996 and 1998. Jeff took home Most Outstanding Player honors after willing the team to victory in the 1998 Final Four. After hanging up his collegiate jersey, he played briefly at the professional level as well.

During his time starring for the Wildcats, Jeff crossed paths with another Kentucky hoops standout in Stacey Reed. She left her own legacy by ranking among the top 10 leading scorers in school history upon finishing her stellar career.