Four of the five players who compose Kentucky basketball's top-ranked 2023 recruiting class will take the court at the 46th edition of the McDonald's All-American Game.

North Laurel High School star Reed Sheppard made a bit of history Wednesday as the first boys basketball player from the state of Kentucky to earn the coveted All-American status since ex-Louisville player Chane Behanan (Bowling Green) did so in 2011. The last native of the Bluegrass State to play in the game was D'Angelo Russell, who made the cut in 2014 after transferring from Central High School to Montverde Academy (Florida) to finish out the final three years of his high school career.

Sheppard will suit up for the West team opposite a trio of five-star future Wildcats in Aaron Bradshaw, Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner. All four players appear among the top 30 seniors in the country on 247Sports' composite rankings.

Tuesday's roster announcement brings Kentucky to 44 McDonald’s All-Americans signed since head coach John Calipari arrived in Lexington in 2009 and 76 total since the game's inception. Chris Livingston and Cason Wallace represented the Wildcats in last year's contest.

The recruiting class with the most McDonald's All-Americans during Calipari's tenure? That would be his 2013 haul of Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee, Julius Randle and James Young. Dubbed "the best class ever assembled" by Dick Vitale at the time, this collection of talent arrived at UK after a low point of Calipari's tenure, losing to Robert Morris in the first round of the NIT, and responded by reaching the 2014 national championship game.

Kentucky basketball recruiting:These players have signed to the Wildcats' 2023 class

The only member of UK's 2023 class to not make the cut was Robert Dillingham, a top-five prospect at point guard who was not eligible for consideration because he plays in Overtime Elite, an Atlanta-based professional league for high schoolers. Dillingham signed a contract with the league that allows him to maintain his amateur status/NCAA eligibility after his previous school, Kanye West's Donda Academy, shut down in November.

The 2023 McDonald's All-American game will be held March 28 at the Toyota Center, which is the home of the Houston Rockets. Check out the complete roster below:

Kentucky basketball recruiting:Will the Wildcats' 2023 class be one of John Calipari's best in Lexington? These 5 set the standard

Kentucky's reigning Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Sheppard ranks among the top 25 scorers in the commonwealth averaging 23.1 points per game on 45.3% shooting (33.3% from 3-point range) heading down the home stretch of his final season at North Laurel. The 6-foot-3 guard also leads the Jaguars in rebounding with 8.8 boards per contest.

Sheppard became the first member of UK's 2023 class when he decided to follow in his parents' footsteps and commit to the Wildcats in November 2021. His father, Jeff, won two national championships at Kentucky and was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1998. His mother, Stacey, ranks among the school's top women's basketball players in games started (110), field-goal attempts (1,318), made 3s (175), 3-point attempts (548), assists (442) and steals (309).

The McDonald's All-American Game won't be the first time Sheppard has taken the court against at least one of his soon-to-be teammates. In December, North Laurel lost to Edwards and the Philadelphia-based Imhotep Institute 59-54 at Freedom Hall during the Play by Play Classic.

Edwards will square off against Bradshaw and Wagner on Saturday, when Camden High School crosses the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to play Imhotep Institute in Philly.

Reach recruiting and trending sports reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: McDonald's All-American Game 2023 roster: Reed Sheppard makes the cut