Reed Sheppard's rapid ascension in the basketball world continued Wednesday night, as the Houston Rockets picked him in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft.

The Rockets selected the former Kentucky star with the No. 3 overall pick. Sheppard is the first player to graduate from a Kentucky high school to go within the top-10 picks of the NBA draft since former Louisville star (and Eastern High graduate) Felton Spencer was the sixth player taken in 1990. The last Kentucky high school alum to play for UK and then become a top-10 selection was Rex Chapman (eighth overall, 1988).

“I’m super excited,” Sheppard said in a statement. “I’m a guy going in who is looking to learn. He’s going to do whatever it takes to win. If it’s not making 3s right away, it’s getting teammates involved. Whatever it takes to win and be on the court, I’m going to do whatever makes the team better.”

Sheppard, who played for the final Kentucky team coached by John Calipari, is a UK legacy who joined the program as part of the nation's top-ranked recruiting class in 2023 — though unlike five-star signees Aaron Bradshaw, Justin Edwards and D.J. Wagner, Sheppard was not expected to be a one-and-done Wildcat.

Here's what to know about Sheppard, the Wildcats' latest first-round NBA draftee:

Reed Sheppard scouting report as he enters NBA

While Sheppard isn't the tallest prospect (he's a shade under 6-foot-2), his shooting was second to none last season at UK, while also showcasing innate instincts distributing the ball as well as swiping it from opponents and blocking shots on the perimeter.

"Can flat out score, especially off screens, using floaters or pulling up in transition," USA TODAY's Jeff Zillgitt and Scooby Axson wrote earlier this month. "Lacks elite athleticism but handles ball well enough to warrant look at point guard. Will compete defensively, and rebounds well for his size."

Reed Sheppard Kentucky stats and highlights

It was hard to play much better, or more efficiently, than Sheppard did during his lone campaign in Lexington. He led the team in both assists (4.5) and steals (2.5) per game while also averaging 12.5 points and 4.1 rebounds. Sheppard connected on more than half of his 3-point attempts — 52.1% (75 for 144), to be exact. That percentage moved him to the top of the list of the program's most accurate 3-point shooters ever.

Defensively, his 82 steals were the second most in a season in Kentucky's illustrious history — six shy of surpassing Rajon Rondo's mark.

Though Sheppard appeared in all 33 games for UK last season, he primarily came off the bench; he made only five starts.

Reed Sheppard recruiting ranking coming out of high school

Sheppard was a consensus four-star prospect in the 2023 class out of North Laurel High School in London. The four major recruiting services — Rivals, ESPN, 247Sports and On3 — had him ranked among the nation's top 80 players in his class. ESPN ranked him 23rd, while On3 and Rivals placed him 27th and 28th, respectively. 247Sports lagged well behind the other three services on Sheppard, slotting him 79th in the 2023 cycle. Per the 247Sports Composite, Sheppard was the No. 9 combo guard nationally among 2023 prospects.

Reed Sheppard height and weight

At the NBA draft combine, Sheppard measured 6-foot-1.75 (without shoes) and weighed 181.6 pounds. On Kentucky's official roster for the 2023-24 season, Sheppard was listed at 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds.

Reed Sheppard comparison in NBA

NBAdraft.net wrote that Sheppard's best pro comp was a combination of Mark Price and Jimmer Fredette. Sporting News compared Sheppard to Kyle Lowry (on the high end), Derrick White (as the median) and Patty Mills (on the low end of his potential). Bleacher Report used Donte DiVincenzo as its Sheppard comparison. The Ringer wrote Sheppard had "shades of" White and Steve Nash. The highest praise came from ESPN, which named Payton Pritchard on the low end and Nash — a Hall of Famer — as Sheppard's ceiling.

"Nash is certainly a lofty name to start with for Sheppard, but it reflects the optimism from scouts that has helped him boost his draft stock as a likely top-five pick," Jeremy Woo, who covers basketball prospects and the NBA draft for ESPN, wrote June 3. "While his role at Kentucky didn't let him play point guard full-time, the upside lies in Sheppard's ability to make plays in transition, knock down shots and develop half-court creation."

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: NBA draft 2024: Reed Sheppard of Kentucky to Houston Rockets at No. 3